Eyes Like the Moon
by Tsubasagirl
Summary: "Who are you...?" He spoke out of awe. The girl with golden locks that spilled over her shoulders looked up at him. Her eyes held the moon inside them. "I'm Serenity," she replied softly. "The Moon Princess."
1. Lost

**Woo! As you can see, this is my first try at a crossover! And why not one of my most favorite animes? Okay, yeah, mixing Sailor Moon and Hakuouki is **_**very**_** different! I only saw one other Sailor Moon x Hakuouki, and it was in Spanish! *crosses fingers* hope this goes well!**

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><p>CHAPTER 1<p>

Lost

Was this how it was supposed to end? No, it couldn't! She knew what her future was going to be like; she was to be queen of Crystal Tokyo, have a wonderful husband and a sweet, but bratty daughter.

The red streams going down her torso said otherwise. Drained of stamina, the moon warrior tried to sit up, but her arms screamed out and gave out underneath her. A throbbing pain sent her a reminder that she was going to be beaten.

"Sailor Moon!" Her friends cried out as they rushed to her. Glancing up at them with pale, blue eyes, a glimmer of hope sent a warm tingle down her spine. Maybe she wasn't going to lose now, but the lack of strength kept her from running into their arms.

A large _boom!_ suddenly erupted as smoke billowed from the cracked cement. The sailor warrior exclaimed and covered their eyes, stopping from reaching their princess in need. Sailor Moon's eyes widened as her heart dropped down to her stomach. So close… mustering all the strength she had, she forced herself to stand with one arm wrapped protectively over her wounded torso. The blood flowed from one to another as the red crawled into her white gloves and painted an abstract pattern of red ribbons.

As the smoke cleared, the golden haired warrior noted an extra body in front of the group of senshi. The eerie figure wore a cape, spattered with blood, with a hood hiding the face. It's back was facing Eternal Sailor Moon, with it's attention more focused on the other warriors. Unsheathing a sword, the blade faced the four as they got into their stances.

"You think a sword will keep you safe?!" Jupiter roared, "It'll take a lot more than that, bastard!" Each senshi called upon their attacks mentally as a barrage of light, water, fire, and lightning charged at the figure. More smoke filled the air as the ground shook. Eternal Sailor Moon exclaimed, shielding her face with her good arm.

By the time the smoke vanished, the figure was already in the air, diving towards its attackers and the sword was hungry to pierce its victims. The winged warrior cursed under her breath as she willed herself to summon forth her holy Tiare. She ignored the excruciating pain as she swung her arm forward, letting out spirals of light towards her enemy. The rich warmth filled the night sky as it stormed to the armed figure, flooding its body completely in the bright light.

Zapped of all her strength, the weakened warrior dropped the Eternal Tiare with a noisy clatter and fell to her knees. The figure covered its eyes as quickly vanished as it did appear, and once again the night was still.

Her friends ran to her, yelling out her name as the girl slowly faded out of consciousness. Even her vision was blurring. Letting out soft and shallow breaths, the princess finally closed her pale blue eyes, drifting away from the voices.

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><p>Her mind started to crawl out of its resting place. She started to lean toward voices as she reached for the shroud of darkness that covered her eyes. Taking in a breath, her pale lips regained color with that small breath of life. The moon warrior's blue eyes opened, and the color returned to her tired orbs.<p>

"Usagi!" Rei exclaimed. Kneeling next to her friend, she motioned the others close by, each girl had eyes glassy with tears. "I'm so glad you're awake!"

The dazed golden haired girl reacted by slowly sitting up, feeling something cling onto her midsection. Her hand traced over her stomach to discover large bandages latched on her side. "That wasn't a dream…" she murmured.

"We tried to wake you up," the brunette with green eyes started, "but you were asleep by then, so we carried you back to Rei's shrine." By 'we', Makoto meant, 'I'.

The five soldiers decided to have a sleepover at Rei's place over the weekend, which turned out to be a good idea. The thought of her parents accidentally seeing the wounds on Usagi's body would lead to questions, and most importantly: panic. Besides, the princess felt much safer with her friends than in her own home.

"That was the fourth attack this week," the black cat walked over to Usagi's futon, and perched herself on top of her legs. "I don't like it. It's not an enemy that I know of, not from Chaos, or any of our previous foes."

Over the past week, the sailors had been hunted by a mysterious figure. Concluding thus far, it seemed like the enemy was focused on Eternal Sailor Moon. They weren't sure what it wanted, as it never uttered a single word to them after the first encounter. And for every meeting, the warriors couldn't find a weakness―even Eternal Sailor Moon's powers couldn't hinder it, let alone destroy it. The thought of it haunted the princess' dreams, and after today, she was sure that it would be the end for her.

"It wasn't even fazed by the Eternal Tiare," the sailor of Mercury added. "I have tried to analyze the enemy for possible weaknesses, but it keeps moving and attacking fast."

The pig-tailed girl scrunched up the sheets in her hands. Her stomach churned as fear settled into her mind that they would soon be defeated by this unknown creature. The princess was sure that they had no more enemies after Chaos, and that she was going to live a normal life until she was to become Queen, but once again she was slapped by reality and was placed in another game of chess.

Either it was frustration or fear, but the girl sniffled. She wanted to cry, but her small body had been pushed over the limits. It was even a struggle to remain sitting up. Her friend's worried gazes burrowed holes in her body, and she felt tired again.

"Maybe we should just end it here, we need sleep." Mina spoke.

Just as Usagi rested back on the futon, she opened her eyes thanks to the streamers of light that transcended through the window. She had never been happier to be woken by the sun. Everything shut down the second her head touched the pillow, to the extent that she had a dreamless sleep. The girl wanted to sleep longer, but she caught the faintest whiff of sugary pastries. Her mouth instantly watered, and her stomach rumbled in agreement: she needed food.

Crawling out of her futon, her eyes glazed over to the small table filled with snacks, donuts and drinks with her friends sitting around it. Her hand instinctively went to the box of glazed donuts, and picked up one. Slumped over the table, she continued to nibble on the donut despite her stomach growling for more.

"Good morning―!" Rei interjected as she poked at her, "Don't eat the entire box, missy."

She was still sluggish, and refused to muster up the strength to argue back. Maybe if she did eat all of the donuts, then her energy would return.

"Glad everyone's awake," Luna started, launching herself onto the table. Her white-haired companion joined her. "We've put everything into consideration… this new enemy is unpredictable, and its motives are unknown, as we all know." A chilling silence filled the room. The two felines looked at each other before Luna finished, "We spoke with Michiru last night, but even she couldn't see anything, so we asked Setsuna. Trust me, it was hard to get her to listen to all of this...but she finally decided to give you this, Usagi." Turning around, she hopped off the table and rummaged through a pile of blankets. Plucking a small trinket in her mouth, she leapt back on the table and set it down in front of Usagi.

She stared at the small item, processing what it was as she finished her donut. There before her was a key that shone like gold. An intricate weave of the metal cradled a gem, which sat atop in its glory with a small chain that swirled around the key in a circle. Picking up the item gingerly, she turned it in her palm to see the light bounce off in different directions. An immense power seemed to radiate from the crystal, strong enough to rip the very fabric of time.

"Is that the…" Ami leaned in closer to get a better look.

"Time Key…?" The girl with sun-kissed hair replied. Placing it back down, she arched a brow at her cat guardian. "Setsuna-san gave you a _Time Key? _Chibiusa used this before." The little key that her future daughter used was in her possession now.

"We figured, since the enemy is just targeting _you_, you should just go to Crystal Tokyo where we know it's safe!" Luna explained.

"Wha―" the princess balled up her hands. Usagi had years of being a sailor soldier in her veins. She had to deal with the Dark Kingdom, the Dark Moon Clan―even Chaos! How does _one_ new enemy change everything? The girl accumulated scars from fights of her former enemies, and even had to deal with losing her friends multiple times! Clearly far from frustrated, Usagi lifted her voice, "Luna, are you _crazy_?! We can handle this guy!"

"I'm with Usagi on this one, Luna," Makoto nodded. "We can't just run away from this. We've been through worse!"

Mina looked forlornly at her friends. "I actually agree with Luna and Artemis." Before anyone else could interject, she added quickly, "Think about it! Those enemies we faced before? We _knew _about them, we _knew _ who we were fighting. We don't know where this person came from, and he doesn't want Energy, Talismans or Star Seeds. He just wants Usagi. What if we can't protect her? What if he attacks her in broad daylight when we aren't around?"

"Well, we're going with her, right?" Rei pressed.

Luna and Artemis shifted uncomfortably under each girl's eager eyes. Artemis' ears turned down as he shook his head. The sailors gawked at their feline protectors. "Usagi just has to go alone. The future scouts will protect her! We have to stay here and defeat this enemy while he doesn't realize that Usagi is in a different time period!" It was strange. Luna would've never executed something so...dangerous. She would try to find ways to stall the enemy, analyze it, and then stopping it. It was like the two cats were sent back home with their tails in between their legs.

"Although it sounds like a good plan...we won't know what will happen in the future if we do that," Ami sighed. "What if something is going on over there too?"

"Well how about one of us just goes with her?" The raven haired girl asked. Usagi stared down at the sugary treats, giving herself a scowl. They were making decisions for her. Sure, in her earlier years as a scout, she would brush it off, since she didn't care about it. But now, she had her own opinion, and was completely against sending herself somewhere else. She wasn't a baby anymore. Lifting her head, she tugged on her pigtails. "Guys! Shut up!"

A hush washed over the girls. Eyes watery with tears of frustration, she exclaimed, "Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Of course you do," Luna replied gently.

The sudden change in tone didn't falter her. "I don't want to hide! Let's just beat this guy and get it over with! Sure, he caught me off guard earlier―but I'll do better!" Usagi nodded to herself, blinking away her threatening tears. "Ami-chan is right; what if Chibiusa has a problem of her own? I can't get in the way!"

"Usagi―"

She wasn't going to hear any of it. She needed time alone. Getting up to her feet, she stumbled, but quickly regained her footing and stormed out of the room. Furiously rubbing away her tears, she threw the door open and stepped outside. Sniffling, she folded her arms as if to protect herself from the words that were floating around her.

Fishing out her phone, she stared at Mamoru's contact. She needed his comfort. Even after the attack from Galaxia, Mamoru decided to go back to America for his studies a few months after the Starlights returned home. Still to this day she was worried that some new enemy would shoot him down, and she would be left in the dark until the last minute. A tear plopped onto the screen before she pressed the call button. Pacing around, she eagerly awaited Mamoru's voice, greeting her, but all she got were the phone dials and his voicemail. Letting out a less-than-happy sigh, she called him a couple times more.

She didn't know how long it was, but she found herself on the top steps of the Hino shrine. Sad eyes gazed on the 16 calls to Mamoru. He was probably busy, but he wasn't going to hear the end of it when he would finally call.

Grasping her Eternal Brooch, she felt its warmth pulsate through her body. It was just a reminder that she was more powerful than she thought. The girl was the Moon Princess, and future Neo-Queen Serenity. She was going to rule a utopia.

Glancing over her shoulder, she sighed at the shrine. Maybe a trip to the Fruits Parlor Crown would get her mind off things.

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><p>The glass of cream soda didn't make her any happier. She would usually come here with her friends to just talk...about school, being a sailor, anything really. Usagi frowned at the drink and swirled it around slowly with her straw. Folding her arms, she unceremoniously put them on the table and burrowed her head in her arms. She knew that moping wasn't going to do anything, but she didn't know what else to do.<p>

Games downstairs didn't sound like much fun to her, and it was much more quiet up here.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Immediately she straightened up and shot her hand down to dig out her phone. Looking at the screen eagerly, her optimism fizzled out as she saw Rei's name on the glowing screen. Guess Mamoru wasn't going to call.

Her thumb deftly went over the answer button, and she brought it up to her ear. Instead of being greeted by yelling, it was: "Usagi, where are you? We couldn't find you around the shrine." She sounded worried.

Usagi's heart melted at her tone. "Uhh," she smiled slightly, "the... Fruit Parlor Crown?"

"You know it's dangerous to go alone!" Rei sighed. "We figured out what's going to happen. We'll be right there, and don't. Move."

Tracing the water droplets on her cup, she replied semi-sweetly, "Alright. Better hurry up, so I won't get killed."

"Don't even _joke_ about that!" And she heard nothing else. Usagi sighed and slumped back in her seat. She couldn't stay mad at them forever. It wasn't the first time they had a disagreement on something, but she was dead set on staying here with her friends. She was the one with the Time Key after all!

Her blue eyes widened in realization. Taking out the small key, she rolled it back and forth on her palm as if studying it. The little trinket winked at her, confusing her if it was going to help her in her plight or not. Picking it up by its chain, she let it twirl in front of her apathetic gaze.

The sound of the door sliding open caught her attention. That was fast. Returning the key to her pocket, she straightened up and looked at the figure that walked in. "Did you guys sprint over here or something?" Her attempt at a joke to lighten the mood didn't go so far...because it wasn't Rei, or her friends.

Shaking her head, she gaped at the looming figure that was inching closer to her. Hood casting a shadow over the face, clad in black, its footsteps echoed in the surprisingly empty café. Come to think of it, where did everyone go? Rising to her feet, she scrambled out of the booth and immediately backed away. Was there a back exit? She couldn't remember since she was focused on the ominous figure that was bent on getting something from her.

"What...what do you want?!" The moon princess demanded. "Who are you?" It was a long shot that she would get an answer from that. Well, it responded by unsheathing the sword. There was no time for talking with this guy! Usagi balled her fists and muttered the words under her breath. Her body was enveloped in light and shortly, the winged Eternal sailor stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground. She didn't even bother finding a place to hide, since she was so bent on defeating this guy once and for all.

She didn't have time to prepare her introductory speech, as he already charged at her with his sword. Letting out a surprised squeak, she jumped out of the way, only to get another sword swipe at her, missing her by a hair. Calling on her Eternal Tiare, she was ready to blast him, but he attacked again. Using the staff as a makeshift sword, her arms twitched at his inhuman strength. He seemed human, since he only used a sword, but the suited soldier knew that this wasn't human strength.

Amidst the clash, her eyes desperately scanned the shadowed face for eyes. And then she saw the glint of red. Blue eyes widened out of fear and wonder, and she tore away from the lock.

_Red _eyes?! Either those were contacts, he was possessed...or he wasn't human. If he was possessed...calling on her attack mentally, she pointed the tiare at him as streamers of light shot out at him, but as quickly as her attack came, his counter matched her speed.

A sliver of light cut through the air, and the sound of her tiare clattering to the floor, flooded her ears. Her world stopped as she looked at the bottom portion she was left, and at the rest on the floor. It was just like her fight with Sailor Galaxia. It took weeks for Luna to repair it, and since then it had grown weaker. Holding the decapitated staff in front of her, she wished in the recesses of her mind that she had her tiara. Moon Tiara Action probably wouldn't do much damage, but at least it was _some_ kind of barrier between him and her doom.

In a sudden flash, the rest of her staff was knocked out of her hands, sliding across the floor to the point where she couldn't dive for it. A foot was sent to her stomach, and the moon warrior fell on her knees. Coughing, she held back her cream soda that was churning in her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her as her attacker pinned her on the floor, the tip of the blade was pressing up against her throbbing heart.

Staring up at the hooded demon, the soldier felt a wave of panic. Without a weapon, or the rest of her soldiers, she was weak. Croaking out, she murmured, "What...what do you want from me?" The thought of her friends finding her on the floor in her own pool of blood struck tears in her eyes. She didn't want to go like this.

A streamer of fire shot out towards her assailant, and he was engulfed in a plume of smoke. Sailor Moon scrambled to her feet once she felt of his weight on top of her disappear. Glancing over her shoulder, her heart rejoiced as she saw the rest of her sailors at the entrance of the small building.

"You guys!" The golden haired heroine choked. Snatching up her severed weapon, she held it tightly against her chest. She could feel the power had drained from the staff. Her soldiers stood defensively in front of her, each one was charging up their attacks.

The smoke cleared, and to their disbelief the hooded figure was left untouched. Not even his clothes had been singed by Mars' attack. He emitted a low rumble. "It's inevitable. Stand down." His voice sent a shiver down Moon's spine. It wasn't low, but it had a twist to it, something like of a mad man. The warriors didn't have time to speak, as one-by-one fell to the ground, unconscious.

And just like that, her small flame of hope was smothered. Shaking her head, she spun around. But the guy had her trapped, as he stood in front of her exit. She needed to contact Luna! The other scouts! Feeling completely helpless, she backed away, eyeing her knocked out friends, silently praying they would recover and blast this guy off the face of the planet. And then she remembered something.

The Time Key.

Her hand patted her sides frantically...where did the transformation take the Time Key? She didn't have time to drop her transformation to dig out the key! Her hand went to her neck and sighed in relief as she took out the key that was looped around her neck. Blue eyes were glued on the sword that was aimed menacingly at her as she held up the key.

First there was a wink, and then beams of light shot out from the gem. Rivers of light flooded the room as her shaken up body was swallowed by a pillar of white light. Squeezing her eyes tight, she tried to shut out the crazed man with a sword. He was just after _her_, right? Then he would leave her friends alone! _Right_? She had to agree with herself. It would give her assurance, even if it was small.

_I'm sorry I left you guys..._she sniffed as she felt the world around her warp away.

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><p>The quietness floating through a village alley was disrupted by a crackle of energy spirals of light. A cat sleeping on a box shot up to its feet and pounced away as the pillar of light imploded on itself, leaving a winged warrior in its wake. The key pulsated against her skin before giving out a final sigh. The light from the crystal sparked before transitioning into a dark, opaque color, as the fine metal started to lose its normal shine as well. Opening her tired eyes, she looped the key around her neck once again as she looked around.<p>

This wasn't Crystal Tokyo.

Her heart sank to the pits of her stomach. How did she get here? She was thinking of Crystal Tokyo! Did she do something wrong?! Was there something off about the key? Sweeping the dirt under her white boots, she let out a shaky sigh. Squeezing her broken weapon against her chest, she took a tentative step forward. She was alone. The emotional turmoil was enough to drop her transformation without her consent. The power radiating from her sealed itself back inside her, ready to start again when prompted, but the Eternal Tiare remained in her hands.

Dragging her feet, she left the alleyway and wandered aimlessly through the village. The golden-haired beauty spotted villagers in kimono and hakama, and their curious eyes observing her as well. It all looked..._old_.

If there was anything she paid attention to in class, besides lunch, was history. If memory served her right, this was still Japan...just before it was modernized. The name of the period slipped her mind, as she was too focused in her own predicament. If you would ask her where she was going, she would have no idea. Maybe Setsuna would be here...it would be a miracle to see the Guardian of Time when she needed her the most.

The time traveling had taken a toll on the poor girl's body. With half hooded eyes, her body tilted to the right. With all her balance on one foot, the exhausted blonde didn't have time to equal herself. But as she waited for the impact of the dirt, she was proven wrong as she felt warm arms stop her descent.

Blurry blue orbs looked up at her rescuer. Meeting a similar deep blue ocean gaze, purple hair framed his face, in which was swept into a side tail. Stringing together her words, she murmured, "Help me...please…" before closing her eyes.

The purple headed warrior looked down at the girl with sun-kissed hair. He couldn't even ask if she was okay before she fell asleep. She didn't look injured, just exhausted. "Whatcha got there Hajime-kun?" A man with emerald eyes inquired. Eyeing at her sleeping form, he nudged his friend with a sly grin. "Ohhh, I see you're busy then~"

"Souji," Saito replied sternly. "Nothing happened. She just fainted."

"Oh," Okita peered at the two objects clutched tightly in her hands. "Looks like it's broken. What do you think it is? It's definitely not a sword. And what do you think is up with her clothes? Kinda weird huh." He nodded to himself.

"She may be a foreigner." He still stood there with the blonde slumped over in his arms.

Nudging his side, Okita lifted a brow. "So what are you gonna do? _Leave _her here? That's not how you treat ladies." He mused.

Obviously irritated by his words, the silent warrior sighed. "If you're so concerned about her, then take her to Headquarters." Getting a playful scowl from Okita, the unit captain scooped up the girl in his arms and spun on his heels, getting multiple looks from ongoing villagers and a couple tossed around murmurs. "Fine, I will! Don't need to be so mean about it. Don't wait up for me."

Goodbyes weren't traded, and the two went off in their own direction. Saito leading the rest of the unit, continuing their daily patrols. The more playful captain of the two looked down at the small girl. Curiosity started to bubble as he continued to take glances at her. From her hair, down to the shoes she was wearing.

Where in the world did she come from?

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it! My first attempt at a crossover! Lemme know what you guys think, and review if you want me to continue this story. (Though I might as well because I am really liking this concept, but your reviews just give me more motivation) <strong>

**In all honesty, I think this is my first time focusing on more than one story at a time! For some reason I think this is a bad idea xD Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**-Jen**


	2. Power

** Nothing much to say other than enjoy! Thank you for your reviews!**

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><p>CHAPTER 2<p>

Power

Opening her eyes momentarily, she screwed them shut as light poured into her eyes. Tightening the covers around her, she rolled to her otherside and humming to herself contently. All she needed were a few more hours of sleep...she told herself.

Wait―covers?

Sitting up straight like a needle, she frantically looked around. Blinking, her heart ached as she saw the wooden walls and tatami mats that created her surrounding. It was similar to Rei's shrine...but it wasn't. Had her friends woken up yet? Did they know she used the Time Key? And that it went berserk on her? Usagi played twenty questions with herself as she tried to string together what could've happened to her friends. As her thoughts went elsewhere, her hand went to her pocket, relieved that the Time Key was safely inside, as well as her phone, but the golden-haired girl had a feeling it wasn't going to be of much use here.

Her hazy blue eyes lit up as she remembered something. "Where's the…" tossing the covers off, she turned to try and find her broken tiare. Her feline protector was going to kill her if she found out she lost it! Getting up to her feet, she crouched down next to the futon and lifted it. No broken tiare here. Sighing sadly, she rubbed away the silent tears that managed to sneak down her face. Golden strands splayed across the floor, as her traditional hair fell out within the sleep. Oh, how she longed for a brush right about now.

Beginning to brush out her hair with her fingers came a knock to the door. "Hey...are you awake?" A guy's voice sounded from the other side. Fumbling to throw up her hair in a messier version of her traditional hairstyle, she slid the door open just enough for her nose to poke through. "...yeah." She replied.

"Wow," the stranger grinned. If Usagi didn't know better, he seemed almost as tall as her, maybe a few inches taller. The small crack between the door was enough for her to take in his image of a friendly grin with wide blue-green eyes. She knitted her brows as her eyes trailed down his long ponytail. Pretty long for a guy to say the least. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" He asked.

Shaking her head, her thoughts went back to her missing tiare. Maybe he had seen it? "No, I got up a few minutes ago." Feeling a bit brave, she opened the door a little more. "Have you seen a staff somewhere? It's...broken, and I had it with me when…" come to think of it, who brought her here? That purple haired guy?

"Oh, that funny looking thing? Hijikata-san is fixing that up for you. It's pretty cool―what is it?" Before she could spill what power was held inside that staff, her stomach shook her sleepiness away. Blushing furiously, the girl put an arm around her growling stomach. The guy's grin only grew wider as he laughed, "I guess questions are for later―oh! That's why I came here in the first place! To see if you were awake or not so you could eat! We figured you'd be hungry since you slept for so long."

The small girl nodded, and kept herself from drooling. The abyss that was her stomach made her regret not getting something at the Crown. "Food would be nice," she said almost daydream like.

"Great! Let's go!" He nodded and went on a head. Stopping in his tracks, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned apologetically, "Sorry, I never got your name. So much stuff happened."

"Tsukino Usagi," she replied. Doing her best to remove the wrinkles from her clothes, her hand ghosted over her brooch before stepped past the threshold of the door. "Usagi huh? I'm Toudou Heisuke. Just call me Heisuke."

Once the two made it to their destination, the blue eyed girl was greeted by a room full of men! All was silent as she made her way inside. Usagi fidgeted under their gazes, and tried not to gape at chiseled muscles a couple decided to show off. Quickly finding a spot, she found herself seated in between muscled guy number one and Heisuke, plopping down next to her. The tension was so thick, she could cut it with a knife.

A man with slick, black hair tied in a ponytail looked up at her. His piercing purple-eyed stare was enough to send a shiver down her spine, causing her arms to get goosebumps. "Good morning," he said.

He was scarier than her old homeroom teacher back in junior high! At least she knew he wasn't going to send her out in the hall when she would eat lunch in class. Usagi nodded and stared at the floor, hard enough that she could've drilled holes in the floorboards. "G...good morning." Another rumble from her stomach made her want to crawl in a hole and stay there.

Muscle guy number two, with a green bandana, immediately bursted out laughing. His loud voice filled the room. "Hungry huh? I know the sound of a big stomach when I hear one!" He grinned at her from the other side of his auburn haired companion, the one she was sitting next to. "So, what's your name, miss?"

"Tsukino Usagi." By now, her cheeks were an unbelievable shade of pink. When was she going to get food? Probably about three bowls of rice would silence her crying stomach.

"Usagi? Pretty cute name," he winked at her, making her shift in her seat. His friend shoved his shoulder, scolding him in a friendly tone. "Don't start flirting, Shinpachi! She's terrified of you!"

"N-no that's not it!" She rose her voice and started fumbling with the ends of her long golden strands.

By the time the food got handed out, all her manners were thrown out the window as she snatched up the bowl of rice and scarfed it down. The girl was more of a sweets fan, but she could eat anything when she was _this_ starving. Ignoring all stares, she went ahead with the rest of her meal, reminding herself to actually _taste _the food before swallowing it like a snake. After a few minutes rolled down her back, her tray was nearly empty. Shinpachi pointed his chopsticks at her, "I found my new challenge! I can't believe it though," he gawked at the empty bowls, "you're so tiny though!" By now she was used to being called tiny despite the fact that the girl could eat a village if she tried. Her friends would tease her and tell her she would get fat, but she wouldn't believe that anytime soon.

The man with the black ponytail coughed, and her attention went back to him. "Now that we seemed to break the ice...Hajime," he looked at that same purple-haired warrior who she encountered the other day. "Please explain what happened."

"Sir," he set his bowl down, "Souji and I were doing our patrols. A few minutes after we left, she appeared, looking extremely exhausted and collapsed. She had what looked like a broken staff in her hands, and she didn't look injured."

"Is this true?" He looked at the girl.

The moon warrior nodded, "Yeah." Except there was her part of the story, in which she wasn't going to share. It just occurred to her that she wasn't supposed to make contact with anyone of the past. Hopefully it wouldn't end like in all the movies she watched when the future turned into a post apocalyptic setting. But when she hoped that that was all he was going to ask, he arched a brow. "And that's it? How did you get here? You _must _be a foreigner."

"N-no! I'm Japanese…" she interjected. "I...I got separated from my friends!" Feeling herself being pushed quickly to the edge of tears, she balled up her hands and shoved them on her lap. Realizing once again that she was all alone in this world was enough to work up the tears that threatened to spill. She didn't have Luna with her to give her at least _some _advice, in which she would probably ignore until the last minute, and not to mention she still had that hooded man haunting her memories. Did he do something to her friends? Was he still looking for her? What if he was going to attack her family?! All the stress building up caused her defenses to break, and immediately tears started to fall. She didn't have the strength to try to stop from crying in front of strangers.

Okita, who had been sitting on the other side of the room, lifted his brows. "Aw man, you should never make a girl cry! Look what you did Hijikata-san!" Hijikata scowled at the young man and immediately felt guilt creep up his shoulders. The glares given by his comrades didn't help either. The Demon Vice-Commander couldn't help but feel sympathy for this girl, even though in the past he was sure he hurt other girls' feelings.

As much as they wanted to cheer her up, they didn't know how to handle it. It wasn't like they had other women running around Headquarters. Heisuke put a hand on the girl's shaking shoulders. "Hey, hey! Usagi-chan, don't worry! We'll find your friends!" He smiled. Rubbing away her tears, Usagi sniffled. Shaking her head, she slapped her cheeks. As much as she wanted to believe Heisuke, she knew that it was beyond their power to even do anything. The twister of emotional stress started to make her lean to the possibility that Setsuna was around. She was the Guardian of Time after all!

After a few minutes of composing herself, she looked up at Hijikata, "Sorry, uh―did you fix the staff?" She asked meekly.

"Oh that?" He blinked. "It's almost done. I'll return it to you when it's done."

Nodding, her gaze slowly met up with the indigo haired man. Same from the other say, it seemed cool and apathetic. It was when Okita did the silence break once again. "Hey, Hajime-kun! Aren't you gonna introduced yourself? You found her anyways!"

It looked like he was going to protest, but he hesitated as he looked at the girl, whose hair looked so bright despite the little light that came in the room. "Saito Hajime." He said. The princess acknowledged his name and looked at his friend sitting next to him. He winked at her, sending light puff of pink on her cheeks. "Okita Souji. I carried you here, Hime-sama, since this guy cares more about his job than helping cute girls in trouble."

"That's enough, Souji," he replied as he went to finish his food. Okita's eyes were definitely different than Saito's, as his emerald eyes held a playful glint inside, with an alluring smile to match. At least he looked more open than his companion, though she didn't feel like associating herself with him. His entire personality looked like it was hiding something...something she couldn't put her finger on.

Surely this girl was different from the rest. Okita had seen the staff that had been pried from the girl's hands. What was so important about the awfully girly looking thing? It didn't look like it could harm a fly, though the intricate designs and jewels that ran across the tiare _did_ mean some sort of high ranking. It seemed almost ethereal―out of this world. The samurai's perception skills were great, but he still couldn't figure out this girl, Usagi.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Hijikata asked Usagi to wait outside his room as he finished the rest of the tiare. Unhealthily picking at her nails, she continued to stress on the possibility that the tiare had lost all of its power, now that it had been broken <em>twice<em>. And if she had to transform, what other weapon could she use? Sighing, she looked forlornly at her nails.

A voice sounded from behind. "Still worrying about that thing?" Turning, she found herself being greeted by the man with auburn hair. Now standing, he towered over her, just like everyone else, minus Heisuke. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." He smiled warmly at her. She tried to match his equally, but failed once he put a hand on her head to measure her height. "Just a little shorter than Heisuke," he chuckled. "But at least you're cute."

What was with all these guys flirting with her? The young princess blushed lightly and gently removed his hand from her head. "I know I'm short!"

"Well, I couldn't see since we were all sitting down. I don't think I've introduced myself back there. I'm Harada―"

"Geeze, everyone is jumping at her. Is everyone _that_ depraved of women?" Okita snickered as he walked up to the two.

"I'm just trying to start a conversation, idiot," he replied. "It's called being _friendly_."

Okita stuck his tongue out at him, rather childlike. As much as Usagi liked the company, she was more focused on her tiare's condition...feeling rather intimidated to be surrounded by so much testosterone. Mina would have a fit if she discovered she had been in the company of guys all this time! The girl had to admit the bunch were rather handsome―but she already had a love! Her fiancé, Mamoru. Bitter thoughts started to brew as she wondered if he had been alerted that she had gone missing, or if he didn't notice at all.

The door finally slid open, with Hijikata wearing a sour expression. "Would it kill you two if you would talk _quietly_? I can hear you loud and clear, and it was hard for me to focus." Looking down at Usagi, he held up the majestic tiare. Still, it looked dull, but it took off a weight from her shoulders to see that it was in one piece. "Sorry it took me so long. It was a clean cut...must have been some fight. Only a strong swordsman could make such a clean cut."

Her heart suddenly sped up. He figured that out?! Hopefully he wouldn't ask what happened. The girl was a horrible liar. Taking the Eternal Tiare, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Tracing her thumb over the designs going down the staff, she smiled up at him. "Thank you." She could feel a steady stream of power radiate from the repaired tiare, albeit was weak.

Harada peered over her to get a look at it. "Huh…" he blinked. "Haven't seen something like that before. Is it some sort of heirloom?"

Tilting her head from side-to-side, she tossed around the idea in her mind. "Something like that." If she tried, she could let it vanish so it was ready for her when she was battling. What these samurai didn't know was that she was a strong warrior, who fought the demons of the universe. The thought made a small smile curl her lips.

"Well, I have to report the news to Kondou-san. Take care of that," he eyed the staff in her hands, "we don't want that to break again if it's an heirloom." Usagi nodded at the older man and watched him disappear behind a corner. Looking at the other two, she inquired, "Who's Kondou-san?"

"Oh," Okita smiled with a surprising amount of reverence in his voice, "he's the leader of the Shinsengumi."

_That_ sounded familiar. The group of samurai who objected to westernization. "The Edo Period!" She exclaimed, feeling suddenly excited that she remembered something she learned at _school_.

"You just figured that out? I thought you were Japanese," Okita chuckled. "Where have you been for the past years?"

She could feel herself crawling out of her shell. Scowling at her new acquaintance, she replied, "None of your business." Casting a thoughtful glance to the wall that seemed to surround the perimeter of the complex, she added, "Thanks for helping me...but I need to go find my friends now. They must be worried," she smiled.

Surprised by her sudden declaration, Harada countered, "Then let us help you! Besides, it's not safe for you to wander Kyoto by yourself."

"I can take care of myself." Folding her arms, she arched a brow. If only she could just transform and show them who she really was, that would be great! But sailor protocol, and common sense had cut off that option. They may seem nice, but she was still being hunted down by some crazy guy with a sword! They could be working with him, and they didn't realize the girl he was after was right in front of them. Luna's constant nagging had finally drilled a plaque in her brain to never trust anyone outside their circle.

Obviously amused by her bravery, Harada patted her on the head. "Sorry, no can do. Besides, Hijikata-san would have the final say if you could leave or not, and he just left."

Puffing out her cheeks, the petite girl's irritation crawled up her back, almost like a cat. If she had Luna with her, the feline would've have at their noses. Hopefully they wouldn't have had her kicked out.

"So why not to tell us more about yourself?" Okita implored.

"What do you want to know?" She arched a brow.

Walking around her, he slung an arm over her shoulder, getting a skeptical look from Harada. "Anything really."

Pursing her lips, she shrugged his arm off her shoulder. "I don't think it's any of your business. Besides," she stuck her nose up in the air child-like. "It's not safe to talk to strangers."

Before long, the princess found herself in her temporary room, gazing up at the sky through the window. Okita played along with her little stubbornness, and didn't ask any further questions. He was rather persistent though…

Her golden strands spilled over her shoulders and pooled on the sill before draping over to the floor. Her window sat in front of a garden, in which showed her the most beautiful starry sky. Her wandering blue orbs could spot even the faintest glows as she took in the night ocean.

By now, she had the tiare disappear, hoping highly that the powerful staff would work the next time she used it. Her hand grasped her jeweled brooch, to give herself a reminder that she was a powerful sailor, who held the most powerful thing in the universe. The Silver Crystal. In all honesty, she hadn't used the Crystal until her final battle with Sailor Galaxia.

She could remember that chilling feeling as she felt it being ripped away from her. She was _dead_ for a period of time. Her friends died in front of her in that grueling battle! Her heart lurched and she immediately shut out the thoughts. She hadn't had time to be reminiscent recently, as graduation was coming, to Usagi's distaste, sooner than later.

_I hope you guys are okay..._she looked up forlornly at the waxing moon. _Maybe Setsuna-san _is _here! Maybe she felt some time rift! _Dull eyes sparked into optimistic ocean. Closing the window, she paced around in her room. Maybe she was looking for her! The girl's heart started to race, thinking that there was a chance she could go home! Maybe she could fix her Time Key! The blonde decided to not risk in time travelling to another wrong time period―she was lucky enough to find _nice_ people here!

Nodding to herself, the young girl decided to make a run for it. In a flash of light, Eternal Sailor Moon stood. Slipping out of her room, she cursed her white boots as it thumped harshly against the wood. Slinking through the garden, the launched herself onto a tree and then threw herself on the top of the wall.

"Hey!" The winged soldier jumped and looked behind her.

The young samurai stood there with a gaping mouth. His blue-green eyes looked at her with fascination and curiosity as the wind picked up the mysterious girl's hair. Her strands acted like golden ribbons that reflected the moon's pale light like water. "This is private property!" Heisuke exclaimed, hopefully he wouldn't wake up his comrades.

Sailor Moon's boots were perched precariously off the edge of the wall. She didn't want to stick around to see if Heisuke could figure out who she was, so she just threw him a ghost of smile and hopped off the wall. "Wait―!" she heard him say as she leapt. Landing on the ground, the Moon warrior glanced around before taking off in a random direction in the empty village.

She was racing along a stone wall when she heard cackling just above her. Whipping her head above, she froze as she caught the glints of red that glowered down at her. God, was that…? No, it couldn't be! There's no way he could've followed her! The warrior cursed under her breath and took a few steps back, "How did you find me?" She demanded, but instead of silence, she received a ragged breath. Illuminated by the pale light, the man could be seen. Wearing a blue haori and sporting white hair, only eyes looked familiar to that of her stalker.

_This isn't him..._by now she caught on that he was silent most of the time, and surely he didn't laugh like _that_. The demon launched himself into the air and landed in front of her, the impact would've shattered someone's legs, but he managed to straighten himself up with the sound of a sickly _crack! _

Taking a defensive step back, she looked curiously. The man before her didn't seem sane to say the least. Owning sharpened canines and leering at her was enough to send chills down her spine. She had seen the most extreme monsters over her years, but nothing exactly like this. He looked like a normal man, despite the white hair and glowing, red eyes. Her sailor eyes were trained to look calmly at a masked skeleton wielding a scythe, not a human look-alike.

"Give me blood…" he murmured and held up his sword, which look like already found victims. Drooling profusely, he licked his lips and lunged at her. Jumping away, her head whipped around to hear the sound of running footsteps.

Men, dressed in the same haori as the man she was facing, stood with swords at hand. "Hey! We found another! The rest must be over that wall!" A man exclaimed. This was bad―there were too many people. Before she could be able to split, Saito caught her eye.

Looking skeptically at the strange girl, he asked her cooly, "Are you associated with him?" He pointed his sword at the white haired man, who had lost his maniacal smile, and was cowering. It was as if he knew his demise when he saw it.

Before she could reply, the sound of more inhuman screeches sounded from the top of the wall. It was like the floodgates of hell decided to open, releasing the demons it had, clawing their way out of the pit to cause misery.

"Dammit, there's more of them?!" One member exclaimed.

The entire top of the wall was lined with white hair and pulsating red orbs with an urge to do only things she would see in movies. As if on cue, the demons dropped to the floor and rose, almost like a zombie, and readied their swords. Without a moment's hesitation both sides started to clash, with the sailor warrior in the crossfire. Letting out a surprised yelp, she dodged the swords that were aimed at her, wishing she could ditch her suddenly huge and obnoxious wings.

As she was clumsily weaving her way through the mess, Saito was cutting down the demons one-by-one, getting rather close to her location. A harsh tug to her hair made her cry out. Head throbbing, she looked over to see one of the demons latching onto one of her golden streamers, yanking it closer to him as he emitted a twisted chortle. Grabbing her hair, she tried to pull back, but his strength couldn't be matched.

Just as Saito reached her, Sailor Moon called upon her Eternal Tiare. _Please work! _She prayed silently as she held it up. Mentally calling on the attack, she waited for the beams of light, but all she got was a dull crystal atop the tiare. Getting a painful yank at her hair, she cried out, nearly driven to tears, "Silver Moon!" Streaks of light shot out from the crystal and filled in the night sky. The staff elongated as it recollected the energy it just released. Everyone went still to stare upon the curiosity. The stress on her head instantly alleviated and she straightened herself up. Murmuring the rest of her attack, ribbons of white and a pale pink blasted each red eyed demon off their feet.

"It worked," she whispered to herself, astounded.

"You…" a low voice caught her off guard. Snatching her weapon close to her, she jumped back looking at Saito with a still surprised look. Her attack hadn't been that strong ever since it broke the first time! Their attention on each other snapped when they heard the sound of groaning. The ones who got struck by her attack sat up with dazed looks, however the unfortunate ones still laid dead in their pool of blood. She cringed at the gore and looked around as the warriors helped their comrades with skeptical looks. "They're not demons…"

"Sir!" One interjected. "They're healed!"

Still with his sword unsheathed, his imploring blue eyes caused her to shift under his gaze. "How did you…" The Moon warrior took cautious steps back. _Too close_, she thought. Now would be a good time to split. Her blue eyes caught a set of boxes, and without answering his unfinished question she darted to the boxes and leapt on, hopping onto the roof of a building without giving a second glance.

Jumping from roof-to-roof, when she decided she put good enough distance between them and her, she dropped her transformation. Now that Saito had seen the legendary sailor warrior, no doubt he would alert the others. Hiding out in town wouldn't be such a good idea...might as well stay with these guys. She sighed at her pathetic attempt to sneak out and try to find Setsuna. Rei would probably laugh at her, and then probably scold her along with Luna.

After a few minutes of wandering around, she found herself at the Shinsengumi entrance. _Okay_, she looked skeptically at the door, _I am _not_ going through the front entrance. _Skirting the perimeter, she found a small gate in the back.

It was locked.

Grumbling, she scaled the wooden door, glad that the door wasn't that tall and hefted herself over. Landing loudly on the cement, she brushed herself off, and attempted to sneak through the headquarters.

Looking over her shoulder, she let out a "Ooof!" Bumping into a muscled chest, she blushed furiously and thanked herself that it was night time. "Sorry―"

Shinpachi scratched the back of his head and grinned goofily, "Nah, it's alright. Actually, I was looking for you! What are you doing hmm?" He leaned down into her personal space with her arms crossed, "Were you going to sneak out?"

Funny thing about that. "No!" She defended. "I...I was trying to find the bathroom! But I gave up, so I'm going back!" She paused, "But I got lost." The last bit was true, and her natural air-headed personality just made it more realistic without her even realizing it. Even though a senior in high school she still kept the goofy traits when she was younger.

He laughed. "Wow you're so cute, Usagi-chan! Here, I'll show you." He winked at her and the two started to head down a hall.

Hurrying to meet his long strides, the girl looked up at the giant before her. "And what were _you_ doing?"

"Huh? Oh," he sighed, "Heisuke woke me up saying he saw some girl on the wall. I checked, but there was nothing there." Her throat began to tighten, but she kept her inquisitive look. "Oh, really?"

"The kid must have had too much sake or something! Either that, or he hasn't been in a girl's company, so he's starting to daydream of one." The spiky haired man concluded. Shoving her heart back to its normal spot, she struggled to keep her pulse down as thoughts raced in her mind. Did he figure who she was? People who _did _see her would just see a glance of her. But it wasn't hard to figure out who she really was, and these people had never seen Sailor Moon before. The people of Tokyo back home grew accustomed to the sailor senshi arriving whenever something went wrong.

"Well, here we are," he gestured to the door. "I'm going to kill that brat for waking me up for no reason," he yawned and bidded her good night. Usagi quickly slipped into her room and locked the door, and diving into her futon. This was just another reminder that she wasn't home. She couldn't sneak out to perform her sailor duties since it seemed like she was in a compound of some sort. It was a struggle to get over that wall in all honesty.

Burying herself in the sheets, she screwed her eyes shut as she shoved away the bad thoughts. It was the only way she was going to sleep this night.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for the reviews! Since this isn't a very common crossover, I figured that there wouldn't be as many reviews, so I'm probably just going to make even more stories with Sailor Moon, since Sailor Moon Crystal revived the fandom and brought in more new fans! Ahhh! I love how they're following the plot of the manga! <strong>

**Anyways, hopefully I'll get back to you guys with another chapter, or another story!**

**-Jen**


	3. Secrets

**You guys deserve a treat for waiting so long...unfortunately, nothing much happens in this chapter...don't worry though! I'll get the ball rolling soon!**

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><p>CHAPTER 3<p>

Secrets

"It was so weird!" The boy exclaimed, his eyes widened at the word. "She was just standing on the wall! She had wings and was dressed weirdly...but..._wow_." He smiled to himself as he leaned back against the support beam.

Usagi had been awake since the crack of dawn, but the girl didn't want to get up. She felt like if she did something like breath at the wrong time, they would figure out her secret. Tightening her grip on the sheets, the continued to listen to Heisuke tell his friends.

"Ehh, were you drunk last night, Heisuke?" Okita inquired with a little laugh in his voice.

"No I wasn't! I'm serious!"

"Some people are trying to sleep," Saito murmured, glancing at the girl's closed door. He sighed and folded his arms. "However, Heisuke is right." Silence. "That winged girl wasn't his drunk imagination."

Harada smiled, "Well, was she cute?"

Not taking his joke, the purple haired man ignored the question. "She somehow managed to heal all the Rasetsu. An entire unit to be exact." Each man widened their eyes in disbelief. The very thought of that sounded ridiculous. Who could wield such power, and _how_ was this ability possible? For years, the Oni were the only ones to carry inhuman capabilities such as strength and healing, but not to the extent of healing the Rasetsu disease. Thanks to the mysterious winged girl, they acquired about twenty men, who were so-called failed tests of the Ochimizu.

"Is she a Pureblood?" Okita asked, "Did you tell Hijikata-san about this?" Saito was going to wait when everyone would be up, as Heisuke tried to wake up the entire complex _twice_, and the Demon Vice Commander was in a rather sour mood since the first interruption. He respected the man, so he would spare him the rude awakening. "No."

After what felt like hours, albeit was ten minutes, Usagi sluggishly sat up. She figured she couldn't hide from them forever. It wasn't like they were going to shine a light on her, and interrogate her for nights on end. Shuffling to her door, she slid it open and did her best to make sound like she just woke up...instead of listening to their entire conversation. Furrowing her brows, she scrunched up her nose, "Why are you all out here?"

The guys were all sitting around, sprawled out on the floor boards, standing against the wall, etc. Heisuke flashed her a smile, "Good morning, Usagi-chan!" He chirped, ignoring her question.

If her mom found out she woke up at _dawn_, she would have a heart attack. Bad habits die hard as she continued with this problem up until her final year in high school. Rubbing her eyes, she hid a yawn behind her palm. "Too early…" she murmured.

"Sorry, did we wake you up?" The eldest asked. "We can move somewhere else," he offered as he started to lean off the wall.

Shaking her head, still peering out from her door like some shield was preventing her from leaving, she replied, "It's fine...I don't wake up this early though…" she paused. "What are you guys talking about anyways?" Her eyes locked with Saito, who was clearly scrutinizing the fact that she looked awfully familiar to someone he had seen recently. Bumps accumulated on her arms despite the mild air.

"Heisuke nearly woke up everyone last night―"

"Now you're just _exaggerating_," Heisuke snapped. Returning his focus to the girl, he explained, "I saw someone on the wall," he pointed, "it was some girl with wings. I've never seen her before, and she looked pretty." He smiled lightly to himself, causing a bit of pink to dust Usagi's cheeks. By now, she heard so many things people say about her sailor soldiers, including how good-looking they are. There was this one point where this guy in class had a huge crush on Sailor Jupiter! It was pretty amusing to see him fangirl about her when Mako was right next to him.

"Really?" She composed the look of innocence, "What did she look like?"

Harada rolled his eyes, "Here we go again…"

A spark ignited in Heisuke's eyes as he started, "She had _really_ long hair, don't laugh when I say that it shone like the _moon_!" He paused and looked around warily, and went back on his train, "I couldn't see her face, but I think she would have really pretty eyes. But get this―she _smiled _at me!"

"I thought you couldn't see her face." She replied.

"Well―yeah, I couldn't, but I could just feel it!" By now he had the most ridiculous smile plastered on his face.

Harada ruffled the boy's hair a little too roughly, "In short, the baby boy here has got a crush." Okita snickered, but Saito remained uninterested.

Usagi had to shove her blushing somewhere else, so in turn, the back of her neck and ears were red. "Oh." She bit her tongue, wishing she could say something better than a one syllable response. Realizing she had been still hiding behind the small door, she stepped past it, closing the door behind her. Her eyes started to wander and locked eyes with Saito once again.

Had he been staring at her all this time?

"If she's going to be staying here, she will need clothes," he looked at her up and down, "that will blend in."

She blinked. "Eh?"

The guys nodded with each other. "Why didn't I realize that?" Okita winked, "I'm sure you'll look even cuter with a yukata."

She hated wearing yukata and kimono alike. There was too much preparation in it. She wondered how Rei could stand it for all these years. "Why don't you go with her then?" Okita flashed a sly grin at Saito.

"Huh? Why me?" He arched a brow.

He shrugged, "You brought it up!"

* * *

><p>Walking all the way to get some clothes for her without the comfort of talking was <em>unbearable<em>. He wouldn't speak unless if she asked a question, and she stopped asking after his eyes narrowed down at her.

At the store, she got herself a plain pink and white yukata and the store owner managed to toss away her old clothes, thanking herself that she grabbed her brooch and phone just as she changed.

Thanking the store owner, the two left in icy silence. Usagi tugged at her long sleeves and fumbled with the fabric with her thumbs. She wasn't exaggerating when she could feel his cold personality radiate towards her. Her heart racing, as she was so nervous that if she did something wrong, he would lash out at her with his sword. "So...you saw that girl Heisuke-kun was talking about?"

"Yes."

Pinching the fabric between her nails, she added, "What were you doing that night?"

He glanced at her, making her shrink back under his icy gaze. "Patrols." The voice in her head continued to nag at her to keep quiet. Just as her eyes started to wander, "Where is it?"

"Where is what?" She asked. Something in her mind clicked, and she her eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! It's back in my room…" before she could go back to the corners of her mind, his voice brought her back.

"You aren't being very calm about this." Usagi paused, casting a wary glance at him. She looked over her shoulders, as if someone were listening in to the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

The purple headed samurai turned with arms folded. "Only a fool would not be able to see the similarities. You're her."

Cursing under her breath, she took a step forward, suddenly accumulating the bravery stored deep down inside. "Look, I'm in a tight situation right now. If you could just keep quiet about that, it would be great." Her ocean eyes were battling the ice storm, but she was losing. The cold exterior he had made her wonder if he ever cracked a smile or even chuckled at a joke. Though it didn't look like he would be cruel enough to spill her secret.

"I have no intention in revealing who you are." The man replied. "Though should I address you as friend or foe?"

As quick as her boldness came, it left. She shrunk back, feeling as though hurt by his formality, like he didn't care who she was. "I'm...I'm not the enemy! I'm just lost!" Tugging at his sleeve, she added, "Can we talk somewhere else?" He only nodded as he let the girl lead him aimlessly through the crowds until they got to a bridge.

"What else do you want to know?" The sailor inquired, though she avoided his gaze.

"Where did you come from, originally?"

"Tokyo―in the future." She added quickly. "Something...happened, and I wound up here. I was supposed to go forward in time."

The young samurai tilted his head, taking in the information. Again, there was no hint of doubt, laughter, or any emotion. His face was devoid of feeling. "So you're a time traveler?"

Tossing the idea around, she nodded along to his assumption. "Something like that." Her lip fell into a small frown as she started to think about those memories. Once again, her mind was plagued by the hooded figure, and now that she was alone without her friends by her side, who else would protect her if he suddenly appeared?

"How did you heal all those Rasetsu?"

"Rase-what?" The blonde looked up, furrowing her brows. For just that second, his eyes showed surprise―probably because he said something he wasn't supposed to say. A thought sparked, and the gears started to move. "You don't have to tell me everything, if _I _don't have to tell _you_ everything." Satisfied by his nod, she answered his question, "The Eternal Tiare. I can heal anything evil. Though, if they're pure evil, the tiare destroys them." A pause. "Is it those red-eyed guys from last night?" He nodded.

"They're demons." Usagi waited for some add-ons, but it seemed like he wasn't going to explain further, which she would respect.

The fascination he had was obvious. His icy eyes started to melt as curiosity seeped through. There was no trace of query, for it seemed like he had dealt with _supernatural_ things during his life as a samurai. Focusing the subject on her again, he asked, "What _are _you? A goddess then." He nodded to himself. The girl's ears turned red after hearing the word _goddess_ in association with herself. Shaking her head profusely, she exclaimed, "No-no! I'm not!" Shrinking away from the wary glances that were thrown her way, she added, "I'm Sailor Moon. Champion of justice…" muttering the last part, she smiled to herself out of amusement realizing how corny the line was if she wasn't facing an enemy.

"Sailor Moon," Saito let the words ring in his head as mystery and words alike started to latch themselves on the name. He had never heard of such a name, nor powers like the small girl in front of him explained. It was strange, he looked down at her, a fragile-looking girl like her possessed such power. She was just around Heisuke's age, so she was pretty young to be fighting. "Are there more of you?"

She nodded as her friend's faces appeared in her mind. "There are sailors for all the planets...Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and so on."

"Your friends," he concluded. "You're separated from them...are they in your time period?"

"As far as I know. I just want to get back to them," she choked on her last few words. "You're not going to tell them all, are you?" Her eyes pleaded with his. It didn't take long before he shook his head, much to her relief. "If it burdens you that much, I won't say anything. But the others will be likely to find out. Be careful if you want to keep your identity a secret."

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><p>She didn't expect she would be discovered so quickly. Then again, she destroyed attackers and the people she saved were in too much of a shock to take in the details of her face. Being surrounded by samurai who had it all together when fighting only jeopardized her secret, and one already knew from the start.<p>

The blonde-haired beauty only sighed as she thought about how Luna would react to all of this, and probably call her careless for letting people figure out who she was in a short allotted time. She found herself a spot in the garden, after being left alone by Saito.

"Why do you look so sad, fair maiden?" Okita's voice brought her out of her reverie as light returned to her dull eyes. Scowling at the grinning man, she stuck her tongue out at him child-like. "I have a name, you know." She replied with a bite. "I'm just…" a pause, "thinking."

"Hmm," he hummed to himself thoughtfully, "well instead of just sitting here, bored out of your wits, want to watch me train?"

The question never sounded so conceited. It was more like a statement, and without giving her much time to respond, he helped her up by the hand and led the girl, said girl reluctant, to the training hall. "The yukata looks good on you," he said out of the blue.

"Eh?" She tilted her head. Did he say something?

He chuckled behind a small smile and shook his head. "Nothing." Upon entering said training hall, it was just that. An empty, large, hall with wooden swords lining up at the walls. Letting her thoughts turn vocal, she asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Ahh," Okita picked up a wooden sword and rested it on his shoulder, "Nagakura-san and Sano-san are out on patrol...Heisuke is probably doing something stupid right now. I'm guessing the rest of them are in their rooms."

Her eyes trailed to the wooden sword, imagining it to be real. The image of a real one phased into the fake, letting her imagination on how dangerous any man could be with a sword run wild. The samurai spun around, swinging the sword at an invisible foe, "Have you ever used a sword before?"

Biting her lip, she nodded ever-so slightly. If you counted running away from Chaos with a big sword, then yes, she used one. Only to get it destroyed by said enemy. "It's been a while," she murmured.

"Huh," he said thoughtfully, "that's interesting." Turning around, he held the sword pointing down, handing her the grip. "Here." Usagi blinked and tilted her head. Was there any reason for this? Reaching out her hand, she took the sword, having her fingers brush up against his hand. An electric shock rippled through her, as she nearly dropped the sword. There was something wrong here. A dark entity lurked around her through emerald green eyes that made her skin prickle.

Getting another sword, he held it up towards her. "Do you know how to spar?" He asked with a sly grin. Shaking her head, she mirrored his movements, trying to figure out why he wanted to spar with _her_ out of all people. If he really wanted to train, why not go find someone else who knew what they were doing?

A tap to her sword knocked her out of her thoughts. "Usagi-_chan_," he drawled out the suffix. "Focus." However his words did nothing for her, because within a few seconds, her sword was knocked out of her hands. Glancing at the fallen sword, she balled up her fists and stared at him frustratingly, "Why are we doing this?"

He seemed surprised, "Why not? It's not like we have anything else to do." Resting the sword on his shoulder, he gestured to the other with his head, "C'mon, another round?"

"No," she stuck her tongue out, "you'll just beat me again." Picking up the sword gingerly, she handed it to him, "I'm not good with swords." Just then, her stomach roared its displeasure, echoing awfully loudly in the hall. Cheeks turning red, she covered her stomach as Okita laughed through pearly whites.

"Shut up!" She turned away while calming her blush down, "I-I'm just hungry!" Okita put the swords away and walked up to her, patting the buns on her head. "Odango," he chuckled. "Let's see if we can scrounge up anything in the kitchen."

_Odango_. "...Mamo-chan?" Her heart lurched with a force to be reckoned with. She grit her teeth as the memories rushed in with a whirlwind of emotions. She completely _forgot_ about the situation she was in. Her new friend glanced over his shoulder, his curious eyes made her scramble to put up her wall.

"Something wrong?"

Shaking her head furiously, she huffed and stormed out of the hall. "Nothing! Let's just find something to eat!"

Upon arriving to the kitchen, the heart in her stomach sank as she realized they didn't have any sweets. Her stomach had been crying out: ICE CREAM and it dawned on her that the freezer wasn't even invented yet, let alone ice cream. Blue eyes dulled as the blonde curled her lips into a frown.

"Ah, Okita-san!" Heisuke chirped as he walked into the kitchen. "Came here to help with dinner huh?"

Usagi's stomach growled its answer, followed by another furious blush. Okita chuckled and nudged her, "On the contrary, Usagi-chan wanted to eat." The younger boy smiled cheekily as he got some things for the meal.

"Well, if you helped out then I promise you'll get to eat food."

Not long after, they got a couple pots with all sorts of things cooking inside. Her mouth was watering as all the smells enveloped her, digging a deeper hole in her stomach. The girl almost cut herself _twice_ while chopping up vegetables. She remembered when her friends crashed their house when Seiya was there...and Mina thought she cut her finger off, but it turned out to be a carrot.

Usagi wasn't the best cook, but her skills sufficed. However, it was no match compared to Mako's skills. The small girl gladly ate everything she made. A small smile curled her lips as she gingerly traced her fingertips where they missed the blade. "If Mako-chan were here, there wouldn't be such a mess," she giggled to herself as she looked at the monster of used dishes and utensils.

"Mako-chan?" Okita inquired as he set a lid down on the pot.

"My friend. She's the _best_ at cooking."

A smirk curled Okita's lips as he glanced teasingly at Heisuke. "Maybe she could teach the kid a thing or two on how to cook."

"Hey!" He exclaimed, "At least I don't _drown_ the food in seasoning!" He said bitterly, which Okita shrugged at.

"Did you figure out if your moonlight crush is yet?" He countered.

Shooting her gaze directly at the floorboards, she bored a hole in them as she avoided their gazes. The room went silent, and only the small crackles from the fires filled the air. Heisuke scowled at him as he punched the elder's chest. "If you're saying I'm crazy, I'm telling you I'm not! I _really_ saw her!" He retreated and folded his arms, "And I don't have a crush on her," he muttered with less gusto. "She just seemed interesting."

Rolling his emerald eyes, he slung an arm over his shoulder, "Aw c'mon, Heisuke-kun. It's more obvious when you're in denial!" Flashing a grin at Usagi he said, "What do you think?"

Bringing her eyes up to their imploring ones, she mustered up the courage to not choke, "Just let him dream a little."

The younger samurai's eyes lit up, much to Okita's distaste, "You believe me?"

Shrugging, she took a peek at the food, "You could've been hallucinating...or saw something real, I dunno." Saito's words echoed in her head. _"Be careful if you want to keep your identity a secret." _She shifted uncomfortably in the suddenly small room. "How much longer?" She pointed at the food.

"Thirty minutes?" Heisuked nodded to himself. "Thirty minutes."

* * *

><p>Belly full of soup and chicken, Usagi had fallen asleep in her room shortly after she had dinner. She gave herself heaping helpings, and sure enough she was given looks by the guys once again. Without a doubt, she was sent off into a food coma. Smiling in her sleep, she curled up the sheets closer to her.<p>

A chill ran up her spine, shaking her awake. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she groggily sat up, letting the comforter fall to her lap. When did it get so cold? Reaching to touch the buns that unfurled atop her head, she sighed and cut her losses. Undoing the buns, she let the remainder of her hair spill out onto the floor.

She jerked her head at the sound of something rasping against the door. Her suddenly racing, she crawled up to her feet and inched slowly towards the entrance. With her toes a few inches from the door, her hand stopped halfway as she listened for more sounds. The chilling silence was enough for her to take a deep breath. Reaching, she paused to rethink her choice.

One, soft hush brushed over her ear and she whipped around. Gasping upon seeing a dark figure clad in black, her hand scrambled to open the door, but frantic fingers caused her to keep missing the grip on the door.

Going for a second resort, her hand shot into her sleeping yukata and took out the Eternal Brooch, holding it up as she started to mentally call the words.

A harsh swipe at the hand made her yelp as the small trinket flew across the wall and clattered noisily to the floor. Not even a breath passed as he unsheathed his sword and rushed up to her, placing the blade against the tender skin of her neck. Screwing her eyes shut, she trembled as she felt the cool metal press up against her. Heart pounding violently against her chest, her lungs weren't able to call for help as fear knocked away the air around her.

"Where is it?" The man asked gruffly, digging the sharp edge further, almost enough to draw blood.

"W..what?" She refused to look at him as silent tears rolled down her cheek. "H-how did you find me?!"

"Don't stall! Where _is_ it?" He paused. The petrified sailor could imagine him leer at her. "I've already dealt with your so-called _warriors_. You have nothing else."

Blue eyes opened with horror plagued inside. A spark shot in her mind as she drew in a deep breath. "Liar...you didn't―"

The thin blade pressed further, to the point where she could feel a warm ribbon trickle down her collarbone, making her emit a choked up whimper. More tears streamed down as his words rung bitterly in her ears. All logic to cancel out the overwhelming emotions was flushed out.

Pale moonlight filled the crevices of the dark room as the frightening images blotted out like water on watercolors. The princess shot up violently with dried tears staining the outer corners of her eyes. A thin sheet of perspiration layered her forehead. Hand immediately searching beside her, she sighed as she grabbed the brooch and held it tightly against her chest.

"A dream…" she breathed. Rubbing her eyes furiously, she added, "No―nightmare!" Kicking off the comforter, she rushed up to the door and stepped outside, taking in the crisp air. She needed to calm down.

Taking a seat on the ledge, she let the cold grass tickle her feet as she stared up at the pale diamond hung up with the stars. She wished more than ever that it would give her strength to brave sleep. By now, it was pitch black with only dim lanterns lighting the hall around the complex.

Sweeping all her hair over her shoulder, her fingers deftly wove in and out of the golden strands as her eyes gazed upon her ancient home. The nightmare continued to play in her mind like a broken record. She could hear his sinister voice, twisted with a sadistic nature as he proudly proclaimed his victory against her friends. Like closing the curtains at a play, she tugged on her hair harshly to launch the thoughts somewhere else.

"You're still awake?" A soft voice sent her shoulders to jump. Rubbing at her eyes quickly, she glanced over her shoulder to see a sleepy Heisuke greet her with an equally tired smile.

Nodding slowly, she subtly tucked away the brooch as Heisuke took a seat next to her. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"No." The girl cast her eyes down to the grass as the rest of the unsettling thoughts lingered. "So why are you up?" The princess broke the silence, letting the sound of crickets echo around them. "Did you have too much food?" In her case, food could be an accomplice to the cause of her nightmare.

He scoffed, "Hardly. Shinpach-san basically took all my food." Scowling to himself, he shook away the expression and gazed up at the moon. "I just wanted to relax...I couldn't get to sleep right away. What about you?" His blue-green orbs trailed down the wall to the general area where he saw a certain girl.

Letting her hands fall to her lap, she bit her lip. "Uhh...bad dream."

"Oh, really? What was it about?" Genuinely concerned eyes made her stomach churn.

Shaking her head, she gave him a sad smile. He widened his eyes and put up his hands in defense. "Sorry! I didn't mean to pry!" Shifting his gaze from left to right, he offered, "I just want to-uh-help."

She considered herself silly for falling so easily for a nightmare. She was always such a cry baby, from beginning to end. "You sure you're not just looking for that girl?" A ghost of a smile curled her lips.

"Ahh, don't be like the rest of them, Usagi-chan! You're the only one not on their side!" He sighed and leaned back on his arms. Exclaiming, not loud enough to wake everyone, he put his hands up, "Agh! Fine! I thought I could maybe see her...to prove myself that I wasn't crazy!" Putting up a finger, to prevent any interruption, he added, "And I know I'm not! Maybe she'll appear somewhere else."

"You think you're gonna talk to her?" She arched a brow.

"At _least_ see her face. Maybe I could spot her out in a crowd."

She suddenly found it hard to swallow. It seemed like she was frowning, because Heisuke peered over her with worried eyes. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Grabbing the nightmare alibi quickly, she murmured, "Just...some guy was in my room...and he had killed all my friends," excuse to cover up her uneasiness, or not, her blue orbs got glassy with tears. "A-and I thought he was going to kill me too!"

"Usagi-chan…" and with that, the dam bursted and tears cascaded down her cheeks like Niagara Falls. Putting her hands up to cover her eyes, she felt a warm arm encircle around her, pulling her close until their sides were touching.

His hold on her wasn't like Mamoru's but it reminded her so much of her soon-to-be fiancé. How he would hug her, hold her when they kissed, or even just stand next to her. She heaved in a deep breath as massive emotions controlled her.

"Don't worry, you're safe here!" He assured, rubbing her arm. "We'll find your friends, and we'll protect you." Part of that wished it were true. As much as she wanted to cling to the glimmer of false hope, she couldn't ignore the cold truth that lingered behind the glamorous curtain.

She didn't know how long she had been crying, because by the time she was done, her eyes were closed and her head was resting the the boy's shoulder. Her mind rested at a content state, approving the surroundings as safe, deeming the boy as such as well. However, she didn't shut down completely as a couple words slipped past her lips. "You're sweet…"

Arching a brow, the pony-tailed boy observed the girl who finally fell asleep. A small smile traced over his mouth at her words as his eyes lingered at her cascading locks, splaying out onto the floor. It gave off a bright sheen, almost ethereal.

Jaw slightly open, he blinked his new eyes and carefully pick up the small girl in his arms, heading to her room and placing her gently on the futon. Before he closed the door, he gazed at her sleeping face, "Sleep tight, Usagi-chan."

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for the long wait! I kept on procrastinating with this chapter to be honest. This time, I wrote down the plot up until chapter 6, so hopefully I'll crank out the next chapters. So, so, so, so! Can you guys figure out what just happened? God, I hope it wasn't too obvious or cliche. = u ="<strong>

**Thank you for your reviews! I see you guys favoriting and following this story, which just gives me assurance that people like this story! You guys are the cat's pajamas, hot diggety!**

**Hope you guys stick around for the next chapter! Until then. **

**-Jen**


	4. Hunted

**Hmm it's been not even a month? I thought it had been ages since the last update! Enjoy.**

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><p>CHAPTER 4<p>

Hunted

It was around evening when something actually happened. The princess woke up in her room this morning only to learn that Heisuke carried her to her room after she fell asleep. Normally the girl wouldn't mind as it was free transportation, but she felt guilty after having only meeting the boy for a couple days to cry on his shoulder and have him carry her.

The rest of the day went on slowly, much to Usagi's disappointment, until Saito had to leave to go on patrols.

As he shrugged on the haori, he took a short glance at her. The pigged tailed girl looked up with sapphire eyes and surprisingly didn't shrink back from his icy stare. "What is it?"

"You don't have to...but you can come along."

She blinked, "Eh?"

"To look for your friends," he added quickly. "They are time travelers as well, right? They could be looking for you."

Deep in the pit of her stomach, she had a feeling that that wasn't the reason. Maybe he felt sorry for poor girl since she was bored out of her wits the entire day. Nevertheless, the girl stood and nodded.

As they headed to the gate, a voice stopped them. "You're taking her out already Hajime-kun?" Okita chirped.

The two turned their heads, being greeted by the man's mischievous smirk. A soft pink dusted the blonde's cheeks, whereas the blue eyed samurai didn't flinch at the comment. He studied his older friend with an apathetic gaze, wondering what in the world was going on in the guy's head. "Souji," he replied firmly, "don't assume things. She was thinking if she could find her friends when I'm out on patrol."

"Don't deny it, Hajime-kun," he mused. When he didn't get a response, he flashed a grin, showing his victory.

As they left the compound, Usagi glanced over her shoulder to see Okita waving. Waving back shyly, she hurried up behind Saito, and thus starting her adventure in the town.

The town of Kyoto was all but busy. The sun setted a few minutes ago, but she could see orange streamers poke through the stray clouds in the sky. Villagers had closed up shop and had headed home, while a few bars and restaurants were kept open. As they walked by the buildings, she could hear men's drunk laughter filter out into the streets.

The Eternal Brooch was― where was it? A deadening chill went up her spine as her heart sank. Patting herself, she took in a strangled gasp and clenched the yukata fabric, immediately letting go as Saito noticed her distress. "Something wrong?"

"It's gone…" she murmured. Where could she have possibly left it? The pig tailed girl tried to reassure herself that it was in her room, but she didn't even notice it's disappearance. The thought of her carelessly dropping somewhere, lost to her forever, made her heart race uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?"

"The…" she struggled to keep her panicked voice down, "brooch! The thing that lets me transform!"

"Maybe you dropped it somewhere."

She nodded and said frantically, "Maybe I dropped it when we left…" the blonde spun on her heels and briskly headed back in the opposite direction. The golden blonde couldn't believe she had been so careless ever since she got here. One, her identity was figured out, and two, her brooch was missing.

The indigo haired man lifted his brow in interest as he watched the girl scurry back to find the small trinket. Giving his men brief words that he would be back shortly, he turned to follow the petite girl. Maybe it was a sense of concern, because he just didn't feel right for letting her wander around in unfamiliar territory...especially at night. As the man tried to justify his reasons, his attention was snatched up by the presence of something.

His trained ears didn't pick up anything, but something...eerie made its way up his spine. In a couple strides, he made his way to the blonde within seconds. "Don't be too long, we need to catch up with the rest of the unit." He said.

Throwing a look over her shoulder, she furrowed her brows, "Then why did you leave them? I'm perfectly fine!" She exclaimed.

What kind of captain leaves his unit alone? Saito shook off the thought, refusing to let the girl out smart him. "Do you always walk alone in your town at night?"

Pursing her lips, the blonde shrugged as her blue eyes scanned the dark dirt, lit poorly by lanterns strung along buildings. She responded shyly, "Not...not alone."

"My point."

"You still didn't have to follow me."

"It's only common sense to not let a girl wander alone at night, is it not?" His wary eyes scanned the rooftops as he inched closer. "What does it look like?"

"Ahh," she put her hands together to form a heart, "it looks like a heart, and it's gold."

It was futile. He couldn't shake off this unsettling feeling. How couldn't she sense it if she had supernatural powers? Maybe it was because she didn't have...whatever she was looking for. The imaginary sound of the harsh rasp of metal and the tearing of skin lingered in his ears as they ventured further away from his men―

Suddenly lunging for her, he looped an arm around her shoulders and yanked her back as two throwing knives plunged into the dirt where she was recently standing. Usagi squeaked in surprise and latched onto his arm, questioning him before she saw the gleaming, sharpened metal in the earth.

Glaring up in where they were thrown from, he stood in front of the girl with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Show yourself, only a true coward would run."

Usagi glanced at the knives and shivered at the thought of the weapons plunging into her. The realization of someone wanting her dead didn't ring in her mind until Saito stepped in front of her. Looking up fearfully, her eyes scoured for who was responsible for this until a body leapt off the ledge of a building and landed near the dull lanterns.

Her heart sunk as she immediately recognized the hood and designs of the clothing. "How did he find me?" The words slipped past her lips before she could think.

"You met him before?" The samurai asked, and she nodded. Turning his attention to the hooded figure, he inquired, "What's your quarrel with her?"

The mysterious man chuckled lowly, "You aren't involved in this. Step aside, or your head will roll."

"I will not."

Unsheathing his sword, he replied, "Foolish man...and you call yourself a _warrior_." Usagi immediately backed away as the man charged, kicking herself for not warning Saito on how powerful this guy was.

A metallic ring sung through the air as the swords instantly clashed. Saito slid back a couple feet as they tried to outmatch each other's strength. The golden blonde could see the samurai's arm shake from the powerful blow, but he remained standing.

In a snap, the hooded figure disappeared and Saito lunged forward with his weight pulling him to the ground. Whipping around, he blocked a thrust from the mysterious man's sword. Saito had to admit, his enemy was strong and quick.

Usagi found it hard to keep up, as the two men continued to trade parries and slashes with lightning speed. It could be at any moment where he deals that devastating blow he did unto her friends. She couldn't let that happen again.

_I'm so pathetic! What should I do?! _Amidst the fight, she caught sight of the knives that were originally intended for her. Clenching her fists, she hurried to the weapons and held one in each hand. Now what? The Moon Princess was raised to not cause harm, only to heal. She couldn't even use the sword against Galaxia.

Shoving frustrations of the past aside, she focused on the problem at hand: Saito could die!

After what seemed like ages, the clashes ceased as Saito recomposed himself, aiming the sword at the assailant while the mysterious man showed no signs of fatigue, let alone breathlessness. "Pretty interesting...but you seem a bit tired now." He chuckled. Suddenly his shaded face was aimed at the girl, mustering the bravery she had buried. "What do you think you're going to do with those? _Hurt _me?"

She stiffened her jaw as she tightened her grip on the knives.

"Don't pretend I can't see you shaking." Usagi could feel an evil smirk curling the features of the man's face. "All you could _do_ was shake."

The knife clattered to the ground with a muffled _ting! _while the other was still in her hand. The purple haired man called out to her hastily, but Usagi had long blocked out everything except for her stalker's voice. Tears threatened to spill as he continued, "You left your warriors behind. That's a bit selfish, is it not? But then again, it'll be easier for me…"

Numbly raising her arm, she threw the knife at his body, but harsh clank of metals rattled her bones awake. Saito leapt in front of her and countered the man's attack, disarming him in the process. With one arm protectively over the petite girl, Saito glared at him with his icy stare, "You will not get near her. Whatever quarrel you have with her... you will stay away from her, or the Shinsengumi will see you as the enemy."

The hooded figure retracted from the two as he picked up his sword. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Just remember, it's because of _that_ girl," Usagi shrunk back, "you are in this mess."

Without anymore words exchanged, the man took his leave, disappearing with the wind, leaving the two alone. Lowering his arm, Saito sheathed his sword and turned to the shaken girl. "I think now would be appropriate to ask...who is he?"

Staring forlornly at her feet, she sighed as she contemplated whether or not telling her entire story was worth it. Things were _not_ going her way. Putting a hand to the back of her head as if to ease a sudden headache, she shook her head as she commanded her tears to recede. "I… I can't," she said softly. "I can't answer that―not now."

"We need to tell Hijikata-san though. This is going to get out of hand, now that someone is after you," he said as he started to walk to where he left his unit. "After the patrol, we need to report to him immediately."

"But―"

"He's our enemy too." He said as he looked forward. "You're not alone in this."

* * *

><p>"One problem after another...it seems like it always happens to us," Kondou nodded to himself, quickly adding, "You aren't our problem! That's not what I'm trying to say...ahhh…"<p>

This was the first time the golden haired beauty met the acclaimed leader of the Shinsengumi. He seemed more like a father than a leader of warriors, then again, she looked like an innocent girl, but was secretly a warrior herself. A secret Saito figured out within days of her arrival. Kondou was man with wrinkles that tacked on his age, but with a friendly smile and black hair that was ever-so slowly graying. It somehow reminded her of her father.

"Did you catch a glimpse of his face?" Hijikata asked.

"No, sir. His face was covered, but his skills are not to be laughed at."

The two leaders nodded and looked at the small girl. "Do you know why he's targeting you?"

Scrunching up the fabric of her yukata in her fists, she drilled holes in the tatami mats underneath her. The princess was glad to share one truth: she didn't know the man's intentions with her. Shaking her head slowly, she replied, "He...he was the reason I got split up from my friends."

"And you've never met this man before?"

"No. He appeared out of nowhere," gathering up her bravery, she lifted her ocean blue eyes and kept the storms in her cerulean orbs calm, "and I don't know what he wants." At this point, she was skirting the line of blowing her secret.

"This _is_ strange," murmured the leader. "Regardless, we need to heighten security, just in case he tries to infiltrate Headquarters."

Saito dipped his head. "Sir."

They were dismissed shortly after, but just as the sleepy eyed girl exited the room, Hijikata's low voice stopped her. "Wait a minute."

Stopping in her tracks, she whirled around and tried to keep her eyes open. "Yeah?"

Folding his arms, his gaze sent chills down her spine. "I don't know what's going on...but things don't add up, and you're our only source. I don't want this whole ordeal to turn into something worse." Usagi nodded. "What I'm trying to say is that I know you're hiding something, and it's not a good idea to keep secrets from people who are protecting you."

Her heart thudded against her chest as nervousness constricted her throat. The line between sharing everything and secrecy was starting to blur as she continued to question the Sailor's code of never telling their identity to anyone outside their circle. The blue eyed girl nodded once again and took her leave.

As she shut the door, she let out a held in breath before letting out a yelp at the sound of someone's voice over her shoulder. "Hey may seem scary, but he means well―sorry! Did I scare you?" Harada asked.

"N-no, I'm fine," she mustered a chuckle and waved her hand dismissively.

He grinned toothily at her, "I didn't know you would be so spooked after a patrol with Hajime-kun. You should go on patrol with me next time."

"No thanks." Without thinking, she started to walk to her room, but Harada followed her shortly after.

"'No thanks'? Geez, that's a little cold, Usagi-chan," he feigned hurt, but he suddenly switched to a more serious note, "did something happen?"

The girl bit her lip before responding innocently, "You should just ask Saito-san if you're so curious."

"Ahh you're no fun. You know, if you hang out with that stick in the mud, you'll turn into him!" He mused. "A cute girl like you shouldn't be so quiet and cold, you're fine the way you are."

Usagi paused to register the compliment, and only nodded. She pursed her lips as if she had something more to say, but shoved down the imaginary words back in her mind as her light hues met with his. "I...I need to sleep." Finally murmuring.

The maroon haired samurai looked at her curiously before acknowledging her request. "Yeah, it's been a long night, huh?"

Before the girl could dive into her room and take refuge in her futon, Saito emerged from the corner of the hall. His fist was closed as he walked up to her. Glancing at Harada, who had a curious look, for only a moment, his gaze returned to her as he unfurled his fingers with the golden brooch glistening in his hand.

"Hmm, what's that?" He asked, peering over her shoulder.

Her heart fluttered out of relief as she took the brooch from his hand and ran a thumb over the case. "Something I dropped…" she replied. Smiling, she added, "Where did you find it?"

"It was in the garden… I was looking for you." It dawned on her that she probably dropped it last night when she was sitting with Heisuke.

Harada arched his brow at the show in front of him, and a small grin curled the corner of his lips ever-so slightly. It was like he discovered a little secret and with that he bowed out of their little conversation.

The princess didn't even realize that the elder samurai left them. All she was focused on was the boy's icy eyes with innocent curiosity. Why would he care so much about the brooch? It was her problem to worry about after all. "Sorry...Hijikata-san wanted to talk to me."

He took his eyes off her and looked up at the moon. "You didn't tell him?"

She shook her head. "I can't...if someone figured it out on their own, then that's something different." Holding the small trinket close to her, she grinned, "And I thought you would be all mean and quiet."

Saito paused and spoke carefully, "Well you never know if a stranger would be your ally or enemy."

"Why do you have to think that?"

"I grew up by that."

"Well," she paused, "you don't have to be like that around me. I'm not your _enemy_, I'm your _friend_. It's nicer to have friends than enemies right?"

At this point, he didn't even glance at her. It was like he lost all interest in her. "I suppose." She took the answer and nodded to herself.

"Anyways―thanks for finding it." She opened the door and stepped inside, pausing just before she closed it, "I...I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night." Shutting the door behind her, separating herself from him, she let out a sigh. The idea of him being so defensive and secretive didn't settle well with the blonde, but he went out of his way to find the brooch for her, and for some reason, her heart fluttered a bit.

Tracing her thumb over the small scratched that accumulated on the cover, her heart heaved out a sigh of relief. That was one less thing to worry about.

Sliding down against the door, she leaned her head back and stared at the dark ceiling. Her worries were not over yet, much to her disappointment. Her new enemy had managed to _follow_ her back in time! With no reason, or idea of his intentions, it was another factor to add to his eeriness.

Where was Luna when she needed her?

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><p><strong>Thank you so much: <strong>**Xelia Lagan**, **astronaut, Natsuko Nishi and teetertotter23!** **Thanks for your reviews and support! I really appreciate it! ^^**

**Sorry for the short chapter! But I'm surprised I updated within a month!**

**Anyways, I'm super excited for the next two chapters...ahahahaa~ I've written it down and I'm super pumped! **

**Can't wait to see you guys in the next chapter!**

**-Jen**


	5. Whispers

**Sorry for the long chapter―it'll go by fast though! I promise! Please enjoy.**

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><p>CHAPTER 5<p>

Whispers

Despite the encounter with the hooded man, things haven't changed around the compound except for heightened security around the walls of Headquarters. It had been a few days, and the Moon Princess was getting along with her _new protectors_. She more thought of it as the male version of her old friends...only they kept on calling her cute, which was far from the fat jokes her friends would exchange with her.

It was a mild, late spring day, and everyone went on about their business, going off to patrols or just helping out around the compound. By now, she figured that the Shinsengumi were the police of Kyoto, but she still couldn't figure out the origins of the Rasetsu, something Saito remained quiet about.

A couple hours had past since breakfast, and Heisuke never showed up. The girl volunteered to wake the kid, more like everyone bowed out, leaving only Usagi to do the job. Why? Was Heisuke some kind of monster if you woke him up?

She could take that risk.

Heading over to his room, she gave two knocks at the door. When she received no answer, she went on inside. In the sunlit room, she could see Heisuke with his unruly hair splayed on the floor, and his body snuggling up to a pillow.

Snickering a bit, she tapped his side with her toe. "Heisuke, wake up!"

Burying his head in the pillow he emitted a, "―mmmhhhmm"

"You missed breakfast! Shinpachi-san ate your food too!" The small girl smiled at the little lie. She took some of his food too. The guys realized that she could eat as much as Shinpachi, and silent eating contests would ensue between them.

Still nothing.

Scooping up a pillow, she heaved out a yell as she smacked his head. Giggling, she lifted the pillow to find one of his sleepy eyes open in little slits. Hitting him again, she yelped as his arm shot out and snatched her wrist, easily pulling her down to the floor. Squeaking, she planted the pillow square in his face, but he tugged the pillow away and easily returned fire. It was like a little kid messing with an adult; it didn't take much to attack them back.

Usagi laughed and shielded her face, "Okay! Okay! Heisuke!" What followed after was a thump and a small crushing of her ribs. She groaned as he flopped on her and his arms curled around her just as if she was the pillow. Usagi stiffened at the position she was in and she roughly shook his shoulders. "Hey, get up!" There was no answer, only more nuzzling near her neck.

She squeaked as his hair tickled her skin and said more firmly, "_Heisuke_."

The boy sniffed and pulled up his head, blinking his tired hues. As if something turned on a switch, his eyes lit up in sudden realization. Jumping off, he reeled backwards as his balance failed him and fell onto the futon. Usagi sat up.

"Ahh, I'm _really_ sorry, Usagi-chan!" He exclaimed as he bowed his head with an apologetic grin. "I was still asleep."

She shook her head and tried to match his smile. "It's fine…" slowly rising to her feet, she took the pillow and chucked it at his face. Coming into contact with a _floof! _the pillow dropped to the floor. Putting a shy hand behind his head, he replied, "I didn't do anything―did I?" He voice sounded panicked.

Usagi shook her head profusely. "No, no! It's fine!" Hurriedly heading to the door, she glanced over her shoulder. "You may wanna get your food though! Shinpachi _will_ eat it, and it's getting cold."

"Protect it for me!" He grinned.

She closed the door behind her and let out a sigh.

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><p>The pots let out a loud clatter as Usagi set them in the tub of water. Her mom would die out of shock to see Usagi waking up before dawn let alone doing <em>chores<em>. The chilly water did a good job of numbing her fingers as she scrubbed away at the bowls and cups.

Wiping her brow with a soaked forearm, she was grateful that the warm sun canceled out the little chills that were sent through her arms like little bursts of energy.

Setting the clean dishes on a mat, she immersed another large pot when Okita's cheery voice appeared from behind. "Hey, Usagi-chan!"

She didn't even look at him. "Hi."

"Need some help?" He inquired. He didn't give her much time to answer as he already had his sleeves tied back and started scrubbing at the pots. A patch of silence went between the two, and a part of her was glad. She still hadn't figured him out, and by now, she was getting along well with the other guys. There was something hiding behind his smile.

"Hey, Usagi-chan, haven't you noticed how Hajime has been acting recently?" He mused.

What? "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know," he poured out the rest of the water, splashing the two a bit. "He doesn't seem as cold."

"Really?" She placed a couple cleaned plates on the mat. "I haven't noticed."

"Ehh… I guess you wouldn't. You haven't been here that long." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just hallucinating."

What was he getting at? The usually air-headed girl wasn't _that_ clueless. Pursing her lips, she contemplated whether or not to tell him to get to the point. Her train of thought was roughly halted as cold water reawakened her face. Taking her head back in surprise, she looked at him with wide eyes. A little grin curled his lips, and his emerald eyes glinted as if ensuing a challenge.

Arching a golden brow, she flicked some water at him. It wasn't long until droplets turned into legitimate splashes. Usagi managed to splash water at him with the help of a cup. Holding back a laugh, she set the cup down and shook the water from her hands. "Are you done yet?" Thank goodness the dishes were done, since most of the water was on their clothes.

Taking a bowl, he threw the water at her. Screaming her displeasure, she wiped her face and punched his rather toned chest. "Okay, okay!" She huffed.

"Sorry, got carried away." What he didn't know was that her rage was starting to bubble.

She let out a 'hmpf!' and gathered the cleaned dishes. Okita followed soon after, carrying the larger pots and followed her into the kitchen. Putting them back in their designated spot, she undid the tie and let her sleeves cover her chilled arms.

"My point anyways," he continued as if nothing happened, "is that I think Hajime _likes_ you," he grinned mischievously. Usagi could see this guy as a fox if he got turned into an animal.

Giving him a doubtful stare, she readjusted her damp hairstyle, "You're kidding, right?"

"Nah. I've known Hajime for _years_, and I can see the way he looks at you...or at least when you talk to him. He found that...thing of yours! What was it…"

"My brooch?" She blinked. "How did you know about that?"

He chuckled, "I wasn't following you if that's what you were thinking. I was just heading to my room when I heard you ask him where did he find it." She still didn't look convinced. "Now that we're still on the topic," he paused purposefully, "I think Heisuke has a crush on you too."

"I thought he liked that girl he saw." Something squeezed her heart. "―on the wall," she added quickly.

"You can have more than one crush." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's too bad for them." Usagi rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood for more teasing from him. Holding out her left hand, more like shoving her hand in his face for him to clearly see, she waggled her fourth finger to show off the small ring. "I'm already taken." Her lips tugged into a grin.

Okita leaned forward to examine the little band, "An engagement ring huh? I should've known," he folded his arms and smirked as if unfazed by the ring, "you still managed to keep your cool after living with _just_ men."

She took her hand back, as if offended, "What do you mean by that?" She asked indignantly.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "I don't know who this guy is, but don't you think he's a horrible fiancé? He still hasn't found you or anything. Out of all the people looking for you, I'm _sure_ he would be the first to find you." The grin splayed on his face made her skin boil. Just who the hell did he think he was? And since when did he turn into an asshole?

What she wouldn't do and kick where it hurts. "You don't even know my entire story! You have no right to assume anything about me!" She screeched.

However, instead of yelling back, he kept his cool head. It was just another thing that made her skin crawl. "True." His green hues flickered back to her ring, "But if your supposed _fiancé _is trying to find you, he better be quick. He may just get here and only get the ring instead of your hand―"

_Slap!_

"Are you saying I'll fall _out_ of love with him?! The hell is _wrong_ with you?" She screeched. Without giving him a second thought, she stormed out of the kitchen.

The emerald-eyed samurai put a hand to his red cheek. What was she so mad about? He was just saying that it _could_ happen. The slap was a bit extreme too. He sighed and looked out the kitchen door, more confused than frustrated. Girls were weird.

She knew steam was practically shooting out of her ears, and she knew she had to calm down so she wouldn't explode at an innocent.

Why was she getting so mad? Maybe it was because Okita thought she would cheat on Mamoru with someone here! That wasn't going to happen! She thought to herself and nodded in agreement.

Staring down at her ring, she furrowed her brows at the stone. Mamoru and the others had to figure out which time period she wound up in. She was sure Setsuna's powers weren't _that_ omnipotent. Of course, it would take some time! Usagi was too busy justifying her reasons to explode at Okita and slap him across the face, she wished she punched him instead, when she stormed into the courtyard, and nearly got her nose slashed off.

Shrieking out of surprise, she jumped back and covered her nose. Just a few inches from her face was the tip of a katana blade, with Saito as the bearer. "Oh," she sighed in relief, "sorry, I wasn't paying attention―" she apologized.

Saito was silent, long enough for her to believe that she needed to apologize again, until he sheathed his sword. "You were lucky it wasn't just some other man. They lack in control."

It took her a moment to realize she was standing in front of a dummy made out of straw. The girl literally walked in the middle of his training, and didn't even realize it. No wonder Luna kept on fussing about the girl's observation skills.

Sidestepping him, she hid her rage with a smile, "I'll just let you get back to it."

He didn't reply as he put his attention back on the dummy. In a snap, he drew out his blade and ran a line down the dummy's body diagonally. A second later and the straws unfurled from each other and flopped to the ground with a rustle. Usagi stood there in disbelief. She didn't even see him touch it!

"Not fast enough…" he murmured to himself. Sheathing the sword, he turned to her with his usual cold stare, though his words clashed the look in his eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nope―" she responded a tad too fast.

He closed his eyes with a displeased tone. "You shouldn't lie. It's obvious something's bothering you."

Twirling some of her cascading locks in her fingers, she let out a sigh. "You don't need to worry about it." Her blue hues flickered to the fallen dummy head, as if scanning to find something else to talk about. Surely the samurai wouldn't be interested in her complex love life, or her fight with Okita, whom she didn't want to see again. "How long have you been training with a sword?"

A spark of interest sparked in his icy blue eyes. "Ever since I was little." He arched a brow, silently inviting her to ask another question.

The curious princess wanted to ask more, but the questions she had in store were more personal, and she didn't want to appear nosy. He seemed quiet for a reason. "How long have you had those swords?"

"Years...they are like the extensions of my arms. I would chose swords over anything."

"I see." She paused. "I held a sword...once though." Dark memories seeped into the corners of her mind as she remembered Galaxia destroying the sword...killing Chibi-Chibi. It was just one of the other scarring memories she gained as a sailor senshi.

"Oh really? For what reason?"

By now, the two found themselves sitting on a bench, under the shade from the compound's shadow.

"You started fighting when you were fourteen? How did your parents allow that?"

She fiddled with her sleeve. "They didn't know in the first place. My mom would probably have me under house arrest if she knew I went around fighting monsters." A laugh chimed in her voice.

"What did your enemies want? Did they all work together?" He asked.

"No. They came...in waves so to speak. First it was the Dark Kingdom...and then shortly after it was the Dark Moon Clan." She took out the brooch and ran her thumb over the case, "This brooch used to be a tiny locket. Over the years, my friends and I gained new powers so we could fight our enemies."

"What are your friends like? Do they have the same abilities as you?" The samurai was more than interested in the girl's mysterious life. He never heard of such a thing, girls running in the night and destroying demons and other adversaries, and they wielded powers, not weapons. In all honesty, he couldn't imagine her fighting, but he saw her when she healed the failed tests. She wasn't even trying in getting his attention like the girls he walks past on his patrols.

Usagi smiled fondly at the memories, "No. Rei-chan has the power of fire, Ami-chan can control water, Minako-chan uses light and Mako-chan uses nature. Mostly lightning though." A pause. "Earlier I was jealous of them since they could actually fight and defend themselves, while all I had was a stick that could heal people." Luna would go berserk if she found out Usagi was blabbering about the senshi's secrets, but the blonde beauty couldn't see him using that to his advantage.

"You are not skilled in any self defense?" He asked to himself. "But every warrior should know how to do that."

"Every warrior but me!" She puffed out her cheeks. "All I do is just cower in fear and get blasted in the face until my friends can cover me. I _had_ a tiara I could throw...but my new transformation doesn't have that. I used a Time Key when I chickened out at a fight and ended up _here_."

He paused for a moment before asking politely, "How did that all came to be? I don't remember you mentioning how you arrived here."

Taking out the Time Key, which was looped around her neck, she let the charm dangle on the chain. It glinted dimly, reminding her that it was zapped of its power. "I was alone...and that guy suddenly appeared. I fought him, but then he managed to break the staff. My friends rushed in, but they were defeated easily so I had to leave." Handing the Time Key to him, she continued bitterly, "That Time Key allows anyone to travel forward or backwards in time. It somehow malfunctioned, and I wound up here."

The man gazed at the key resting in his palm. It didn't seem like anything extraordinary minus the intricate designs embedded in the gold. He found it hard to wrap his mind around the thought of the power that this key held.

It somehow reminded him of her. She didn't seem like much, but he had no idea what she was capable of.

Returning the key to her, he replied, "Is there a way to repair this Time Key? If it's broken, surely someone could fix it."

Usagi nodded. "I'm sure Setsuna-san can fix it. She's the Time Guardian." Standing up, suddenly excited about her plan, she added, "she would know if someone time traveled! There would be a time rift or something!" The girl was relying more on what she had seen in the movies, but facts depicted in the films _could_ turn out truthful. "So I'm thinking that she could be here to help me get back home…" but that hadn't been the case. It was like she was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. Giving the Time Key a defeated look, she looped it around her neck and hid it underneath her yukata.

"Maybe she's simply waiting for the right time." He paused. "I don't know much of your world, or your abilities, but if you say she's the Time Guardian, then she must know when is a good time to confront you."

His words sent a wave of assurance over her stormy mind. "Yeah, you're probably right." She still found it hard to believe that he was soaking all of this in.

The samurai wanted to know more...more of her world, her abilities...everything. It was like he was speaking with a non-human, not a god...but some sort of being with a sense of divinity. Her golden locks seemed to have captured the sun's light, and her eyes carried the sky, shining like the moon. Well, she was called Sailor _Moon_, so there would have to be some similarities, no?

He didn't admit it, but the girl had sparked his curiosity the moment she arrived. The way she spoke and acted were not like the other girls from his time period.

"So what were you so mad about earlier?" He asked, suddenly realizing he might have been staring at her unknowingly.

Sitting back down, she shook her head. "Okita-san was just annoying me. That's all."

"He doesn't act his age," he looked forward, "he enjoys getting on Vice-Commander's nerves."

She nodded. His words, unfortunately, re-entered her mind. There was no way she would fall for someone else. Both of them made the promise of marrying once she graduated high school and start their new life onto being the rulers of Crystal Tokyo!

Okita had no idea who he was dealing with.

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><p>A loud growl came unexpectedly. It roused the young princess awake from a dreamless sleep. Groaning, she muffled her stomach's plea for food as she groggily got to her feet. She was sure she had enough food at dinner, but her hunger proved her otherwise.<p>

Usagi knew that this wasn't something she could sleep over, as she could feel her stomach practically cave in on itself with every minute that passed. "Fine, fine," she muttered to herself and quietly exited the room. As she continued her blind journey to the kitchen, she let her mind wander off on its own. Tantalizing visions of ice cream and cookies watered her mouth, and maybe a couple donuts―wait...

Her heart sunk when she reminded herself that such delicacies didn't exist here. Letting out a silent groan, she let her head fall as she realized that she would just arrive to a kitchen with ingredients to make _complete_ meals, not a midnight snack. And Usagi didn't want to wake everyone to a burning kitchen.

The dejected blonde heaved out a sigh and rubbed her growling belly. Tomorrow she would just have to scarf everything down. _Who am I kidding?! I'm _dying_! _Her stomach roared, indicating that it could devour a village if not fed in the next few minutes.

Before she could even think about sneaking out to grab something to eat from one of the shops, which was ridiculous because she was penniless, the loud crash of glass caught her attention.

What was that? Without a moment's hesitation, curiosity swept her up like a magnet to a nail, she headed to the source of the sound. Blue hues locked onto a door, confirming her suspicions as she heard the sound of things clattering to the floor. Was an animal loose in there?

Arriving at the door, she gave it a couple soft taps, and heard Sannan's raspy voice from the other side. "Don't...don't come in here!"

"E-eh? Are you alright?" Concern washed over her as she could hear the dry breaths he drew in. When she didn't leave, his voice grew louder, followed by a violent, dry, cough. "LEAVE!"

His raised voice surprised her, but her stubbornness cancelled out the fear she had. "Are you sure?" The girl wasn't stupid. Leaving him wouldn't solve anything, and he would just say the same thing to another. Her ear strained to listen for a reply, but all she got was silence. "Sannan-san?" She asked again. A loud thump sounded in the room shortly after. Pursing her lips, she threw the door open and stepped inside.

Holding back a gasp, she could see a head of snow white hair atop his head. He was holding his throat, as if he was thirsty. And those blood red eyes met up with hers. Taking a step back, the girl found herself in another sea of confusion. _What's going on?! Sannan-san is a… _"Rasetsu," she murmured.

"Stupid girl…" he rasped, "I need...blood!" What little bit of human he had left in his eyes was gone now, as his hand grabbed a broken shard glass scattered along the floor, and lunged for her.

She squealed and dodged his attack, but by the time she was able to reach for the door, a harsh yank to her head sent her backwards and landing on her back. Stars cascaded around her as she rubbed her head, she sat up only to be pinned down by the demonized Sannan. Leering at her, he held the shard to her throat.

_The brooch...the hell is it?! _The feeling of the cool glass pressing up against her skin knocked her out of her thoughts. Putting her hand on his, she pushed her head further in the floor, hoping to get away from him as much as possible in her current situation. If only the floor would implode so she could get away from him, transform, and heal him.

_I just need to get him off me! _

Sannan's strength far surpassed the girl's as he moved the glass along her skin, letting out tiny ribbons of red down her neck. Almost animalistic, he licked his lips and showed his teeth as the tantalizing smell of blood teased his senses.

"Get off...me!" She squirmed around as he raised the shard dagger-like. Her body strained to bend in any shape and form to wriggle out of his grasp, and her kicks did nothing to keep him off. Breathing rapidly, the fear started to crawl its way up again.

Only it came up in a form of a scream. The frequency of her scream managed to startle Sannan...the girl couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she had her 'ears' and it would've been amplified ten times more. However, the scream didn't faze him for long, as he was already on his way on plunging that shard and into her heart.

It seemed like a half a second, as Sannan was forcefully ripped away from her body. Scrambling back to her feet, she looked up with surprised hues as she saw Shinpachi and Harada holding Sannan back. "Seems like we came in at the right time," Shinpachi grinned as if nothing was going on.

Usagi stared at the possessed man, screaming his irritation. He struggled in both men's hold on him, but he remained locked under their arms.

Heisuke ran into the room not a second later, "I got Hijikata-san―" he staggered to a stop upon realization that there was someone else in the room. "Usagi-chan…" It looked like he was caught red handed for committing a crime as he looked at his two friends for advice.

"Just get her out of here! I think the smell of blood isn't going to help Sannan-san." Harada replied as Sannan continued to struggle in their hold. Red eyes stared at small streams of blood, almost lustfully, and that was enough to send shivers down her spine. Usagi briskly exited the room, with Heisuke behind her.

Dabbing away at the blood with her sleeve, she could care less, she whipped around and exclaimed, "What was _that _about?! Sannan-san is…"

"Look, we'll explain everything! Just after," he glanced back, "he calms down." Turning his attention to her sleeve pressed on her neck, he stepped forward, "Did he get you?"

He was so calm about this. Why did that annoy her the most? "Just a little―" waving her hand dismissively, she added, "but that's not the point! He's a _Rasetsu_!"

"How did you know about that?" He arched a brow.

_Crap_. "Uh…" before she could give out a pathetic excuse for her blunder, she heard Shinpachi and Harada exclaim something incoherent, followed by a mad dash of Sannan, exiting the room and his eyes straight at her throat.

Harada threw himself out of the room and yelled, "Usagi! Run!"

Heisuke drew his sword and stood in front of the girl, "You heard him! Run! We got this."

She knew it was time to stop being the vulnerable girl. It was tiring to keep the façade going. It was all pointless, since her enemy found his way to her, something she still needed to figure out. The girl was above their imaginations, she was a sailor warrior for years, and she wasn't going to turn into a helpless girl after being surrounded by these guys.

She had to defend herself for a turn.

_Now or never…_ taking out her brooch, she held it up in the air. Shinpachi and Harada gazed at her in wonder as streaks of light shone through the brooch. Engulfing the girl in ribbons of light, Eternal Sailor Moon took her place, a fire lit in her eyes and a sense of duty radiating from her.

"Usagi…?" Heisuke turned only to have his jaw drop to the very floor, with Sannan only a few feet away from them.

"Heisuke-kun, get back!" She exclaimed as she summoned forth the Tiare. It was as if she was given a new set of courage to wear on her sleeve. Reaching out, she grabbed the staff and whipped back as Sannan lunged for her. Her legs thrummed with energy as she leapt away and planted her boots firmly in the ground.

Holding up the Tiare, Sannan didn't stop his persistent attacks until showers of light encased him. The demon inside screamed and hissed as Sailor Moon's attack ripped right through it. A silence washed over everyone in anticipation to see Sannan after the light faded.

A groan caught everyone's attention as Sannan fell to his knees. Putting a hand to his head, he murmured, "What... happened?" Sure enough, his snow white locks had turned back to black, and his red eyes were no more.

"Sannan-san!" Harada exclaimed as he and his friend rushed to his aid. Heisuke looked at Sannan and then at the moon warrior, as if he were still trying to put the pieces together. After a few minutes of registering, his eyes light up in a new hue, as well as his face.

"U-usagi-chan is…!" He pointed a finger at her, "She's―the girl I saw was―?!" She shifted under his gaze uncomfortably as he put all the pieces together and ended with a bang.

"What's going on here?" A voice startled her from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Hijikata, Saito and Hajime head over to the site. Glancing at the moon warrior and then at Sannan skeptically, he arched a brow, more curious than anything. That or he was grumpy that someone woke him up. "You contained his madness…"

"More like she _healed_ him," Okita said as imploring green eyes observed Sannan. A small grin curled his lips as his eyes met hers. So the mysterious girl Heisuke saw was true, and boy, she looked rather good in the strange clothing she wore.

Sailor Moon paused and then finally nodded. "He's healed...the evil inside him has been destroyed." Her blue orbs met another pair. Saito remained indifferent as he took a good look at her second persona.

Sannan let out another groan, reminding everyone of their current position. Shinpachi and Harada helped up the disoriented man. "Take him back to his room and get Yamazaki-kun." Hijikata said.

The two nodded and started to head back inside.

Putting his icy purple gaze on the small girl, he narrowed his eyes. "You have some questions to answer. And it's preferable you tell the _entire_ story."

* * *

><p>Red eyes observed the entire scene, from beginning to end, letting him get a good view of the moonlit warrior. The wind combed through his golden locks, and carried a tiny whiff of the girl's sweet and ethereal blood. He held his breath to let the scent linger before exhaling, wishing he held it in longer.<p>

A smile curled his lips as he walked along the elevated portion of the roof to watch as the dogs took the girl inside. His suspicions were right when he learned that someone had opened not one, but _three_ time rifts.

Who knew that one of those who were responsible was someone from out of this world. It was like fate was being nice to him and giving him a chance to get something that was worthy enough to be his.

Of course, as the head of the Purebloods it was only natural to get the best.

Closing his eyes, he let the images of the past come clear. She turned her head and golden streamers unfurled from her bun-styled hair and billowed in the wind. A white flower adorned her hair, matching the white dress. A hint of divinity and grace emitted from the small figure, something that children would find in books.

His long awaited treasure was finally here, ready for the taking. Gazing up at the moon, a sense of familiarity washed over him. The worshipped moon goddess from other lands...her beautiful daughter of the moon, was _here_.

The legendary Serenity would be _his_, after all these years.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for the reviews: <strong>**Anime hotty lover.18****, ****teetertotter23****, and ****Ginxy! I really appreciate the kind words and tips! **

**One of you mentioned earlier that the Oni could figure out who she really was the second they saw her, and you kinda guessed that early! Or you're a psychic! xD And don't worry, I'm working on _Illusions_ too, for those of you who are reading both. _Dancer's Feet_ is coming along slowly. Since it doesn't have any magic in it, I have to think of the typical dramas that happen in high school, and everyone knows that's not nearly as fun as fighting demons with a girly staff xD**

**Again, thanks for the reviews! (I didn't think it would have this many reviews to be honest) And I hope I'll get back to you with another one!**

**-Jen**


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